A Burnham-On-Sea town councillor has this week stepped up his calls for traffic calming measures to be introduced along the town’s Esplanade.
Town and district councillor Neville Jones, who has long campaigned for safety improvements along the seafront, raised a formal resolution calling for action at this week’s full meeting of Sedgemoor District Council.
It comes after Burnham-On-Sea.com reported last month that Somerset County Council’s Head of Highways, Ioan Rees, had stated “traffic calming of the South Esplanade would have a very low priority for funding from Highways budgets” and added that that the low number of accidents along the seafront means there is no argument for changes.
But Cllr Jones, pictured above, has this week gained the majority support of members of the district council for a new ‘leisure drive’ to be created along the Esplanade, south of St Margaret’s turning, to try and combat the problem of anti-social driving and excessive speed. This would see speed restrictions of 5-10mph introduced.
He said: “This will underpin the first of the four objectives of the Burnham Regeneration plan to bring road safety to thousands of holidaymakers from the Burnham Holiday Village.”
“It will enable cyclists using the nationally funded SUSTRANS track to the south west via the River Brue track to enjoy a sense of safety, while parents whose children use the higher Esplanade on their small cycles, as well as pedestrians, will benefit.”
“Funding of some £25,000 is already possible. The County Council’s figures of £70,000 to £100,000 are considered ‘suspect’ and are being closely examined by a professional road engineer at no cost in the service to the local populace.”
The resolution for the creation of a new ‘leisure drive’ was seconded by Cllr Eric Gill and supported by a number of other district councillors at Wednesday’s meeting, including Cllr Danny Titcombe and Cllr John Laband.
Cllr Jones told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “I am pleased by this week’s development but will not let this matter go without a positive outcome.”
“Cllr Duncan McGinty, leader of the district council, has agreed to personally write to the Chairman of the County Council asking him to re-examine the costings of the project in light of further investigation by professional engineers.”
The latest development comes just days after Burnham-On-Sea.com reported on an accident involving a motorbike along the busy stretch of Esplanade outside Quantock Court.
