Joy over crossing success

Parents are celebrating after councillors gave the go-ahead for a pedestrian crossing at a busy junction in Broadfield.
jpco-23-10-13 New pedestrian crossing is given the go ahead at Pelham Place, Broadfield (Pic by Jon Rigby)jpco-23-10-13 New pedestrian crossing is given the go ahead at Pelham Place, Broadfield (Pic by Jon Rigby)
jpco-23-10-13 New pedestrian crossing is given the go ahead at Pelham Place, Broadfield (Pic by Jon Rigby)

Residents started a petition for a crossing at Pelham Place near the new Morrisons garage.

With support from West Sussex county councillor Brian Quinn and Crawley Borough Council member Alan Quirk, the West Crawley County Local Committee (CLC) agreed to put forward the site for one of its three traffic projects for next year.

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Resident Louise Weekes said: “I’m excited. It’s not going to be tomorrow, but it’s progress, which is always good.

“We’d like it done as soon as possible because it’s the safety of the children we are concerned for.

“Even buses come hurtling up to the roundabout down this smaller road.”

She said people used the road to pick up their young children from school, including mums with pushchairs.

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Morrisons opened a petrol station there last month, which parents are concerned will make things worse.

Louise added: “At the moment it doesn’t seem to have had much of an impact. I don’t think people have realised Morrisons has a garage yet.

“I can only see it getting busier.”

At the meeting on October 10 Cllr Quinn (Lab, Broadfield) said: “After five or six years it’s going ahead.

“It won’t be next week or in the next month, but it is going forward.”

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After he added: “It’s great news, we just have to wait now to see how long it takes to push through. There have been several little incidents over there. It’s a dangerous crossing. With Morrisons putting offers in the nationals for eight or nine pence off petrol it will only increase the volume of traffic.”

Cllr Quirk (Con, Broadfield South) who was a county councillor until May, said: “I’m chuffed about it.”

He added: When I was chair of the CLC in the last session we were pressing for it, so it’s a combination of the old and the new. We’ve got to make sure county [council] honour their commitment as they have the tendency to delay things.

“They’ve stopped parking opposite by the garage and that’s also improved the sight lines for people which is good.

“It’s a win-win which I’m pleased.”