Angry campaigners in Berrow who are calling for a new pavement to be introduced along a dangerous stretch of road in the village will hold their first protest march of the year next month and they have also challenged county councillors from across the region to join them and see for themselves how dangerous it is.
Berrow’s Local Action Team is to hold the protest on Saturday 1st May, starting at 11am from outside Berrow Church, as part of their long-running campaign to get a new pavement introduced along Coast Road.
The previous May protest, pictured here in 2009, caused huge disruption to motorists during one of the area’s busiest weekends for tourists of the year.
The march is being held amid fresh hopes that Somerset County Council will re-consider its decision not to introduce a pavement along the busy road.
Berrow Local Action Team Chairman Ken May has written to all county councillors this week, challenging them to attend the protest march.
He writes: “Some years ago funding was earmarked to complete this last bit of pavement. For whatever reason the County Council saw fit to appropriate the funding elsewhere.”
“Since then, various protests and representations to the County Council have failed to resolve the situation and the project remains uncompleted. We are aware that you will be considering the appropriation of funding from the next Local Transport Plan. Berrow Local Action Team invites each and every one of you to attend our next protest walk on May 1st.”
“Please be aware that County Councilors have previously refused to attend these protest walks because they have considered it ‘too dangerous!’ Only by seeing and experiencing the plight of pedestrians using this road will you appreciate the need for your action.”
He continues: “You cannot continue to ignore this issue. There have been several minor accidents and untold numbers of near misses involving pedestrians. To placate those of you of a nervous disposition, the protest walk will be policed with traffic control measures temporarily in place.”
And Mr May finishes his letter by challenging: “Please give just one hour of your time; I know some of you are some distance away from Berrow, but when you walk the walk, you’ll see the need.”
Burnham-On-Sea.com has covered all the protests over several years and will also be attending May’s event.
Long queues of traffic built up during last year’s protest march
