'It's shocking': Response to speed limit reduction call for Skegness road angers councillors

Following last month's meeting when the motion was raised, councillors reported LCC had responded, stating the road - the A158 from Skegness to Burgh le Marsh - was 'rural' and did not warrant a reduction of the 60mph speed limit.

First to comment that the response was 'shocking' was Coun Dan Kirk: "There is clear evidence there are significant issues along that stretch of Burgh Road," he said. "We have Coun Carpenter, a bus driver, who is constantly reporting the issues.

"Residents of Skegness also know there are a significant issue and for the road not to tick the box, with regards to highways, I think is outrageous.

"Maybe this matter needs escalating to the Secretary of State - I don't know. Something needs to be done. One fatality or injury is too many, let along the scores over the decades.- three in the last 10 years I believe.

"To have what I believe is such a clinical response is not on. I think this town should be escalating this."

Coun Findley agreed and said to leave things as they are would be an 'accident waiting to happen'.

"They (LCC) have looked at the figures as to what is there - but not what is really there," he said.

"There are a lot more people walk along there from the caravan parks and the circus - they walk the dogs, they walk the children. It's an accident waiting to happen.

"With the bus stops, the lack of crossings - we need to keep at them (LCC).

"We need them in council. We need to challenge them and say 'this is not acceptable'."

Coun Danny Brookes said it was wrong to treat the road as rural during the holiday season. He said: "It's a rural speed limit based on traffic flow . OK, in the winter it isn't massive, but surely in the summer it gets beyond rural - particularly along the first stretch up to Poppy's Restaurant where it is getting more and more built up.

"I can't see how they can class that as rural when you have caravan sites on both sides and a hotel and caravan site and industrial estate on the other. I don't know where we can take this but I don't think it's right."

Coun Tony Tye said the council should 'carry on our fight' to get this sorted.

He said: "It is totally irresponsible that they don't agree speed restrictions should be here.

To be honest I believe it should be at least 40mph from the other side of Poppies taking it 200 yards to that junction with Croft and Wainfleet.right up to 30 mph zone."

However, Coun Sid Dennis said the council needed to take a pragmatic view' of the issue. "They (LCC) have thousands and thousands of miles of roads in Lincolnshire and I think we need to do is ask Highways to come to council and explain they way they do it. We need to find out their thinking.

"I think this is just a paper excercise and I think we need to bring them here or we will just be passing letters."

Town clerk Steve Larner pointed out representatives of the Highways Department and Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership had been invited to council but have not responded to this invitation

He suggested the LCC town councillors, if they were agreeable, could put a motion for highways and road safety officers to pay a visit and ask if the policy could be reviewed under special circumstances - such as the traffic flow in the summer being very much higher than the average would indicate.

"If the policy was reviewed it could solve the issue not only for Skegness but other coastal towns," he said.

Coun Findley explained the LCC response was to a motion he had spent a lot of time putting together. "We are not after changes to the whole of Lincolnshire - we are after a small stretch of road at one of the key resorts in Lincolnshire.

"For us it is about our residents and not thousands of miles of roads across Lincolnshire.

"They replied with this that this is not worthy for a speed reduction."

Mayor Coun Mark Dannatt said. "There are two roads in and out of Skegness - the A158 and the A52. We are speaking about

"With all these new caravan sites and a new footpath going in I think we need to get hold of this and write back."

Coun Danny Brookes added: "After the clerk said they hadn't even bothered to reply to us that just shows to me the contempt LCC have for us as a council.

"It's disgraceful. How long does it take to write an email . But to totally ignore it beggars belief.

I agree with Coun Dennis that we do need to know how they came to this decision . Our county councillors should be bringing this up."

The Skegness Standard has asked for comments from LCC and the Lincolnshire Road Safety Partnership.

RISE IN SERIOUS COLLISIONS IN LINCOLNSHIRE

Councillors' concerns came as police highlighted a rise in serious road accidents across Lincolnshire.

So far this year, 48 people have died in 45 collisions. Last year 56 people died in 50 collisions.

During December, Lincolnshire Police officers were called to seven serious collisions, including in Alford, which have seen five people seriously injured and two people sadly die.

The Fatal4 - speeding, driving while impaired through drink or drugs, using a mobile phone and not wearing a seatbelt - are factors in many collisions the police deal with. All of these start with the decision of a driver to take a risk, to drive their car while they are over the limit, to pick up their phone, to accelerate faster than is safe.

Chief Inspector Pat Coates, Specialist Operations, Lincolnshire Police, said: “I can’t imagine how the families and friends of people who have died or been seriously injured in collisions cope or feel. It’s never a good time to be involved in a collision but especially when life is different and difficult enough at the moment. My sympathies go to anyone who is grieving.

“I’m asking all of our drivers and riders to protect their loved ones by driving responsibly. We enforce all year but especially target drivers who do so under the influence at this time of year.

"Over three days we’ve arrested 14 people for drink or drug driving, seven charged to court, and seven investigations are on-going.

“My message is pay more attention to your driving, don’t make rash decisions about overtaking, reduce your speed and don’t get behind the wheel when your unfit to drive.”