Stone MP Sir Bill Cash has objected to Staffordshire County Council’s recent decision to close the gap on the A34 between the new fire station and Whitemill Lane.
A public meeting was held on Friday 13th March, with a second being held tonight (18th March) at Walton Community Centre, as scores of local people hit out at the decision.
Work is expected to begin soon on closing the gap. The town’s MP has now backed the campaign to keep it open.
Cash said today: “In the light of the significant public opposition to the decisions at Walton Community Centre and elsewhere, on behalf of my constituents I object to the proposals and I have written to the Council urging them to stop the closure by considering other options.
“It will affect the Eccleshall Road and could have a detrimental effect on businesses. It will lead to a huge amount of extra traffic going through the estate in Walton and out on to an already busy Eccleshall Road.
“I urge them to consider the negative impact on closing these junctions will have not only on residents but all parents of children attending, for example, Manor Hill First School, Pirehill First School and Walton Priory Middle School through additional traffic on Manor Rise and the B5026. Closing the junctions will only increase the volume of traffic onto Manor Rise.
“For some residents, for example, on Longfield Avenue, by closing the gap for them, which is a short distance from the Whitemill Lane gap, it prevents their ability to turn right onto the A34, and it means that they will have to go up to the nearest roundabout to turn around, adding a potential 2 miles to their journeys each day, on a road which is busy during rush hour, especially when there are problems on the M6.
“The closure of the gap is seen by my constituents as an extreme response and not necessary and will just create further problems with the queuing on the Eccelshall Road at rush hour.
“Traffic will divert through the estate and down the Eccleshall Road creating a safety issue both in Whitemill Lane, Walton Way and Manor Rise in an already heavily congested area, which is a risk to all my constituents. If ambulances are delayed, even if only for minutes, that can make an important difference. I am urging for alternative and safer arrangements to be found.”
More on the decision to close the gap HERE
4 comments
Stone Bloke
Do the roadworks that have appeared today 23rd March) on the A34 already signal the closure of the gap?
Jamie Summerfield
Hi there. The closure of the gap has been put on hold, so I don’t think those roadworks are related
neil shardlow
See previous post.
Neil Shardlow
Firstly let me make it clear I don’t like the gap mainly because people don’t know how to use correctly, but instead of closing it why not install traffic lights similar to ones at the new Caldon estate and the Aldi supermarket problem solved.