New traffic lights boost

There have been four reported collision in the road since November 2011, prompting concerned residents to campaign for increased safety measures.

The authority said the lights will replace the existing zebra crossing at the Bracebridge junction and that it will improve nearby street lighting.

Bracebridge resident Geoff Coe, 83, said he was delighted with the news after several months of lobbying the council to make road safety improvements.

“I am very pleased that some good has come out of it and I am sure it will make a difference,” he said.

“All we can hope now is that these new traffic lights will help pedestrians to get across the road safely, because we have had several accidents there in the past few months.”

But Mr Coe said he was disappointed the council will not change the direction of the interactive speed sign on High Hoe Road

But it WON’T be changing the direction of the interactive speed sign on the road - despite claims from residents it is facing the wrong way round and endangering pedestrians’ lives.

Mr Coe said the speed warning’s position means there is no warning to motorists who speed up towards Retford Road.

He said he was nearly knocked over twice in recent months while using the pedestrian crossing by cars travelling too fast.

“I was really shook up - one lady saw it and said I was lucky not to have been run over,” he said.

Notts County Council’s group manager for highway mangement Chris Charney said the authority had acted after listening to residents’ concerns about speeding.

“There is a speeding problem on High Hoe Road in both directions and the speed sign there was installed following community pressure to address the problem,” he said.

But he said the authority would not be changing the position of the interactive speeding sign.

“The location fully meets our criteria for the installation of an interactive sign and in this particular case the sign has been positioned to address vehicles travelling northbound (uphill) along High Hoe Road, where speeds are highest,” he said.

“We receive many requests for these signs and are spending £250,000 this year alone on installing them but it is simply not possible to put them at every location and in both directions where there is a speeding problem.”

He added that changing the sign’s position would compromise motorists’ safety. “The offside location was necessary to ensure the correct line of sight for drivers and sign activation for vehicles heading northbound,” he said.

“If the sign was to be turned around to face drivers coming in the opposite direction, then the bend in the road and the trees on the nearside would mask and interfere with it.”