Safety fear over Warwick street changes

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CHANGES to High Street and Jury Street in the centre of Warwick have been slammed as 'extremely dangerous' after leaving pedestrians with nowhere safe to cross.

The £250,000 project, actually designed to make the busy streets more pedestrian-friendly, has included the introduction of raised paved crossings but the removal of the existing zebra crossing by the court house.

Jury Street resident Robert Pocknell has been left stunned by the changes and is pushing Warwickshire County Council for answers.

He told the paper: “The current state of the road in Jury Street in quite frankly unbelievable and extremely dangerous.

“The whole street looks like a construction site. Cars are still careering down the road and not stopping at the raised crossings.

“There is nowhere safe to cross now contractors have blocked off the old zebra crossing, which is absolutely ridiculous.

“I am extremely concerned for the safety of my children and others, and think someone is going to be injured. The responsibility for any accidents rests squarely on the shoulders of the contractors, designers and the council."

But council chiefs insist the work to “improve” Jury Street and High Street was progressing well after resurfacing works, and additional work would be completed in the coming weeks.

A spokesman added: "A stage three Safety Audit - a review of the scheme post construction - will shortly be carried out with input from the police.

“This will identify any previously unforeseen safety concerns and if any are identified these will be addressed with scheme modifications.”

The council also said an issue with loose chippings on the road and pathways had no been resolved and reiterated the overall scheme would make the area more user-friendly for pedestrians and would have considerable long-term benefits for the town.

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