I think this ever-growing crater at the turn from St Saviour’s Road into Brooklyn Road has been reported to B&NES on “Fix My Street” but – coming back from dropping off our car at Larkhall Garage – l was amazed at the constant rush-hour pounding these roads endure as a continuous line of cars utilises this ‘rat run’ to escape the London Road.
It also showed me how stupidly dangerous any development at the side of Deadmill Lane would be in allowing access from newly-built houses into what is a ‘blind alley’.
Much better if the owners of this field developed allotments and rented them out for an income. As B&NES own the land beyond the triangle of field in question, maybe they should buy it and let us have a proper wildlife corridor into Larkhall.
As for the rat run? A Liveable Neighbourhood springs to mind.
Having read the above, Paul Polden writes:
“I quite agree with you that I don’t think it is appropriate to build on the land at the side of Deadmill Lane.
I have to own up that I use the rat run to get to and from Claremont Road on occasion and have perceived a significant increase in the amount of traffic using it recently, coincidentally since the introduction of the CAZ or more likely the 20mph limit on the London Road.
How that might have affected the traffic flow I don’t know but suspect vehicle owners feel that the chances of being caught speeding along St Saviour’s Road and through Larkhall is less than on the main London Road.
I also perceive that many vehicles don’t stick to the 20 mph speed limits in the area and are impatient unwilling to yield to oncoming vehicles.
There is a wider problem in the area as HGVs attempt to skirt the CAZ also using Claremont Road as a rat run. They are thwarted by the necessity to turn 90 degrees into St Saviour’s Road at the bottom of the hill.
Iron bollards have been placed there to increase pedestrian and residents safety but these are regularly uprooted by these monster vehicles, almost on a daily basis. My fear is that someone will be seriously injured or even killed if action is not taken urgently to stop them.
I don’t believe the forthcoming changes proposed by the Council will alleviate this issue. A possible solution would be to make Claremont Road a one-way road going upwards rather than to introduce chicane parking, which in my view will only make matters worse. I’m not sure whether this proposal has ever been considered?
I’m glad you and your neighbours can breathe easier in the knowledge that the latest proposal to build on the land adjacent to Deadmill Lane has been quashed for the time being but suspect the increased pollution from an increase in traffic levels is also an unwelcome consequence of a wider issue in the area.”
