More than 200 people have called for changes to a “dangerous junction” at Caversham Lakes before “somebody dies”.
Vision is poor where Henley Road meets Caversham Park Road and the access road to Caversham Lakes, and traffic has become busier since Cosmonaut Leisure opened its watersports facility, according to petitioners.
Road safety concerns were among the reasons the council denied Caversham Lakes permission to host activities, but petition organiser Candi Hall said further action needs to be taken.
“I live just around the corner so I regularly see the traffic piling up outside my house because that junction has shut because somebody is getting scraped off of it or a car is getting scraped off the side of it. People keep crashing.”
READ MORE: H&M Home is coming BACK to Reading
“As local people we’re hearing about accidents there really regularly and there’s been no mention of reviewing the safety of that junction and as local residents we don’t want to wait for somebody to die there before something is done.”
There have been 30 collisions in the area of the junction since the turn of the millennia, two of which have been serious and one fatal (in 2002), according to CrashMap.
A spokesperson for South Oxfordshire District Council said: “In line with the county council's advice, one of the reasons for refusal refers to the increasing movement of vehicles along the site access road which does not contain adequate provision for pedestrians.”
Asked whether this was enough, Ms Hall said: “No. Because the vision at that junction is still insufficient for safe driving and there are still businesses down there [at Caversham Lakes].
“So the risk is still there. It still warrants some sort of review and more safety measures whether Caversham Lakes shuts or not.”
READ MORE: Firefighters rush to car fire lit by arsonist
As of October 17, 217 people have signed the petition, which Ms Hall will submit to a council committee on November 2, before presenting her concerns on November 10.
A spokersperson for Caversham Lakes said: “This junction has been a hot spot for many years, even before the opening of our facilities at Caversham Lakes.
“As the junction falls on the boundary between two separate councils neither side have taken the relevant steps to resolve this issue which should have been sorted years ago to prevent accidents.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel