We have about 3000 vehicles a day, through Chester Rd, Penyffordd soon to double or treble courtesy of Flintshire County Council.
The speeding figure for the day I think is near 2200 vehicles. I downplay the figures on my protest sign
In fact Flintshire Highways seem hell bent on making sure Chester Rd remains wide open.
It is time for all this trash to kept out of our villages. We have a by-pass.
The Link
My thanks to a friend.
The Letter in The Times Monday
CC Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom
Our beautiful villages, ripped apart by traffic
The fate of Selborne is felt throughout the British countryside
Sir, “At the foot of this hill, one stage or step from the uplands, lies the village, which consists of one single straggling street, three quarters of a mile in length, in a sheltered vale, and running parallel with the Hanger.” The village is Selborne, and the author Gilbert White. His book, The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne, written in limpid prose, is the fourth most published book in the English language and has been translated into many others, including Japanese and Chinese. It is widely considered one of the earliest “ecological” studies.
Selborne is in a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is within the proposed South Downs National Park. That single straggling street has become the B3006, and, although no wider than in Gilbert White’s time, today it carries 10,000 vehicles a day, including juggernauts. There is a speed limit of 30mph and a ban on lorries over 7.5 tons, but both are widely disregarded. Speeds are often well in excess of 30mph. The pavements are narrow or non-existent.
Wing mirrors are a constant hazard. In the rush hours it is difficult to cross the road. The cottages, shops and inns on either side of the road, many of which are 15th and 16th-century and without foundations, are shaken by the traffic. There is a complete loss of tranquillity and the atmosphere that White describes as “soft” is now heavily polluted with petrol fumes and vehicular noise.
Priority is given to vehicles. Our children cannot walk to school unescorted. They cannot explore the lanes alone. They are limited to their gardens, and to the school grounds. Many are transported from the one to the other by car, including those old enough to walk unescorted. They have a limited experience of the countryside. The normal exploratory joys of childhood are denied them.
Gilbert White is acclaimed as the father of ecology and by amazing good fortune the village, its countryside and the natural habitat that was his inspiration still exist. It could be argued that Selborne should be a World Heritage Site and protected as such.
We call upon the authorities to change current policy and protect Selborne and all such villages. This is to be done by ensuring that long-distance commuter traffic stays on the A-roads. With tranquillity restored and environmentally friendly traffic calming in place, village streets could become once more a shared space.
Dr E. M Yates
President of the Selborne Association
James Anderson
Former Vicar of St Mary’s Selborne
The Rt Hon The Lord Archer of Sandwell QC
Professor Sir David Bellamy
Vice Admiral Sir Tom Blackburn KCVO CB
John Britton
Chairman of the Board of Governors Selborne School
Richard Clarke
Senior Lecturer in Conservation, University of London
Maureen Comber
East Hampshire District Council Councillor
Major General Patrick Cordingley DSO
Chairman of Trustees of Gilbert White’s House & The Wakes Museum
Dr Philip Cribb
Former Trustee of Gilbert White’s House & The Wakes Museum
Phillip Dixon
Children & Families' Minister for the Northanger Benefice, Selborne
Derek Edwards
Chairman of the Selborne Association
Professor Stephen Goldsack
Former Professor of Physics, Imperial College
Dr Richard J Gornall
High President of Botanical Society of the British Isles
Roy J Hall
Hon Secretary, The Selborne Society
Professor Sir John Lawton
President of the British Ecological Society
Dr Caroline Lucas
MEP for South of England
Professor Gren Lucas
Former Keeper of the Herbarium and Library Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Richard Mabey
Professor Lord May of Oxford OM AC FRS
Former President of the Royal Society
Sir Derek Morris MA DPhil
Provost, Oriel College, Oxford
Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne MEP
Tony Pears
Rector of the Northanger Benefice, Selborne
Dr Owen Plunkett
Ramblers Association Hampshire
Professor Guy Poppy
Head of Ecology, Unversity of Southampton
Professor Sir Ghillean Prance FRS, VMH
Scientific Director, The Eden Project
Peter Russell
The Earl of Selborne KBE FRS
Tim Smit CBE
Chief Executive, The Eden Project
Philip Stott
Emeritus Professor of Biogeography, University of London;
A D Thomas OBE
Chairman of the Real World Learning Campaign
Mrs Sarah Thorne
The High Sheriff of Hampshire
Canon David Watson
Rt Rev Trevor Willmott
Sufragan Bishop of Basingstoke
Michael Wood
Broadcaster
No comments:
Post a Comment