Residents raise safety fearsafter pavement is closed

A barrier and scaffolding were erected on the pavement last week to allow workers to repair the roof at the former Sir Joseph Banks ‘town house’ in High Street.

Pedestrians - including young mums with children - say they had to walk on the road, with claims they were within ‘inches’ of passing cars, buses and lorries.

Town councillor and business owner Jonathan Ferrari was among several people who complained to Lincolnshire County Council.

Coun Ferrari says that as a result of the complaints, signs were erected, warning people the pavement was closed and to use one on the opposite side of High Street.

However, a few hours later, people were still walking on the road.

Coun Ferrari said: “It was a very dangerous situation and when the work started, the warning signs weren’t in place.”

He suggested the county council should have closed one side of the road to create a temporary pavement - and utilise traffic lights to control the flow of vehicles.

Coun Ferrari was backed by several residents, including Mike Foster who said he had threatened to report the county council to the Health and Safety Executive,

He told the News: “There are elderly people and mums with pushchairs walking in the road, just a few inches from the traffic.

“It’s crazy - an accident waiting to happen.”

Mr Foster said that, although warning signs had been erected, it was ‘not good enough’.

He added: “People are still having to walk on the road.”

He went on to say falling masonry from the building was also a threat to pedestrians and vehicles.

Pensioner Joy Waters said she had walked on the road and a motorist had ‘blasted his horn at her’.

She explained: “I’d been to the bank and there were no signs saying the pavement was shut so I had to walk on the road.

“A van stopped and the driver blasted his horn and told me to get off the road.

“I pointed out the pavement was shut and there was nowhere else to walk but he just drove off.

“You don’t feel safe on the pavement anyway but this work has made it a lot worse.

“A lot of people are complaining.”