Second bid within a year to remove controversial speed cushions

The newly formed Great Houghton Voluntary Residents Group has conducted research which, they believe, suggests overwhelming support from within the community to have them removed.

But it seems their campaign faces a struggle - with Barnsley Council insisting they are the correct answer for road safety in the village.

In 2024, the council - which is responsible for road safety - rejected a petition calling for the cushions to be removed.

According to the new group, more than 80 per cent of those who answered a survey said the cushions were in a poor, or dangerous, condition.

More than half reported damage to their vehicles, caused by loose or mis-aligned cushions, with concerns that the cushions are also ineffective at reducing speed.

There was support for other measures, including raised ‘speed tables’ across the whole carriageway, chicanes and speed cameras.

A group spokesman said: “Residents are not simply complaining - they’re proposing alternatives.

“We are not against traffic claiming - we’re in favour of road safety.”

They are now planning a new petition, peaceful protests and other measures to step-up their campaign.

Residents have been reporting broken bolts, used to pin the cushions to the road, on a frequent basis.

However, Cllr James Higginbottom, Cabinet Spokesperson for Highways at Barnsley Council, said: “We understand residents’ concerns, appreciate their engagement on this issue and will continue to engage constructively to address those concerns.

“The speed cushions in Great Houghton are inspected monthly and repaired as needed.

“They fully comply with Department for Transport guidelines.

“Speed surveys show most vehicles travel near the 30mph limit, which shows that the speed cushions are effective at reducing vehicle speeds and improving road safety.

“All engineering solutions to address road safety concerns must be supported by robust and verifiable data to justify works being carried out, which is not the case at this location.

It is only right and in the broader public interest that we focus our limited resources into parts of the network where data shows that road users have been killed or seriously injured, which is the same approach used by National Highways and every local authority in the country.”