Villagers' road safety action plea turned down

CALLS for extra road safety measures on a busy road through a tiny village have been rejected by councillors.

More than 7,000 vehicles a day use the B6089 at Nether Haugh — a main link route between Rotherham town centre and the Dearne Valley.

Nether Haugh Action Group called for traffic calming measures and improved pavements to reduce the risks to villagers.

A spokesman said: “It should not be underestimated how members of our community do genuinely feel in fear of their personal safety when they leave the house on mobility scooters, with pushchairs, on bicycles and even on foot.”

Nether Haugh comprises a farm and 40 houses with just over 100 residents. The action group’s research in 2011 found 46 per cent of vehicles exceeded the 30mph limit.

But Rotherham Borough Council said it carried out three speed surveys and none met national police guidelines for speed enforcement.

A spokesman said: “The three previous years’ worth of injury accident data does not demonstrate that Nether Haugh is a location that we would consider as a site of concern.

“As such we could not justify the use of funding reserved for treating accident hotspots to provide a traffic calming scheme at this location.”

He added: “The existing footways are sufficiently wide to accommodate a pedestrian pushing a pram.

“It is reduced in places by overhanging vegetation from private properties. The owners will be contacted.”