Council promises traffic calming but doesn't deliver

3.23.23pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 14th Oct 2009

Cllr Tom Papworth is angry at Bromley Council's failure to deliver on its traffic calming promise for Fox Hill

Lib Dem councillors have reacted angrily to Bromley Council's failure to erect speed warning signs in Fox Hill and Belvedere Road.

Council officers told Cllr Tom Papworth that reactive signs would be erected in Fox Hill on 30 September. This follows a campaign by Lib Dem councillors and local residents to deal with traffic travelling at dangerous speeds. Fox Hill includes a steep slope where cars pick up speed, and houses at the bottom of the road have been hit by cars several times. "It is a miracle that nobody has been killed," observed one resident.

However, when Cllr Papworth and Cllr John Canvin visited the site on October 10th, the signs were nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, the Council has erected speed notices in Belvedere Road, reminding drivers of the 30mph speed limit. However, these signs do not react to speeding drivers. Belvedere Road also has a steep slope and suffers the same problem.

Cllr Tom Papworth said "Bromley is badly letting down residents on traffic safety. Traffic on both roads needs to be slowed before an accident occurs. The signs in Belvedere are not enough. To fail to erect the signs in Fox Hill two weeks after promising them just proves to residents' that this really is the forgotten end of the borough."