Mike Penning presents A5 petition to Parliament
4th June 2008
Mike Penning has presented a petition to Parliament signed by over 500 residents for Flamstead calling for traffic lights at the A5/Chequers Hill junction.
Mike Penning, who is Member of Parliament for the Hemel Hempstead constituency which includes the village of Flamstead, has presented a petition to Parliament calling for traffic lights at the A5 junction with Chequers Hill.
The petition which has been signed by more than 500 residents of Flamstead calls for the Secretary of State for Transport to “find ways and means of providing a traffic light controlled system at this dangerous junction, as recommended in the A5 Chequers Hill Review Study, carried out on behalf of the Highways Agency (Works Order No . 96525), by Carillion URS in July 2007.”
The petitioners highlighted the difficulties faced by cars trying to pull out of Chequers Hill onto the A5 at this point as much of the traffic on the A5 is travelling at “killing speed” having just left the motorway.
Speaking after presenting the petition, Mike Penning said:
“The petitioners have my full backing in this matter. The junction is clearly a dangerous one and one that causes a lot of worry and concern to people living in the village. The Highways Agency commissioned a study which has recommended lights so it seems it would be sensible to progress this and solve the problem once and for all.”
MIKE PRESENTS THE PETITION
Road Safety (A5 Chequers Hill)
7.28 pm
Mike Penning (Hemel Hempstead) (Con): I rise to deliver a public petition on behalf of the residents of Flamstead in my constituency. It contains more than 500 signatures, which represents the vast majority of the residents of Flamstead, who are affected by the dangerous intersection with the A5 at Chequers Hill.
The petition is long, so I will not read it in full, but it declares that the situation is causing distress and fear to local residents because of the high number of reported and unreported accidents that occur daily. Traffic congestion of between 17 and 33 vehicles is backed up between Chequers Hill and the A5, especially when residents are trying to turn right on to the A5.
It further declares that an agreement that this junction is a special case and that traffic lights be installed is requested by my constituents, who ask that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Transport to find ways and means of providing traffic-light controlled systems at this dangerous junction, as recommended in the A5 Chequers Hill review study, carried out on behalf of the Highways Agency, works order no. 96525, in July 2007.
Following is the full text of the petition:
[ The Petition of those concerned about the intersection of the A5/Chequers hill, Flamstead,
Declares that they live in the vicinity of a dangerous intersection (A5/Chequers Hill, Flamstead), which they are forced to use in order to gain access to Harpenden, St . Albans, Hemel Hempstead, Luton and Dunstable for reasons of employment, travel, medical care and shopping. While they understand that a traffic light scheme may not rate highly in the v alue for m oney criteria normally employed when assessing road improvement schemes, but submit that, in this case, the normal criteria should be tempered by the knowledge that it involves the fifth most important trunk road in the country which, at this point, is accommodating traffic that has just left the M1 motorway and, despite a 50 mph speed limit, is travelling at killing speed. Further confusion is caused by vehicles whose direction indicators have not been cancelled after turning left at this point. This has encouraged frustrated motorists to pull out onto the A5 in front of them.
Further declares that the situation is causing distress and fear to local residents by reason o f the high number of unreported “damage only” accidents that occur and the high number of “near misses” . Traffic congestion of between 17 and 33 vehicles backed up between Chequers Hill and waiting to join the A5 at this point have be en noted between 8 am and 8.30 am on many mornings.
Further declares that agreement to treat this junction as a special case and install traffic lights would have a significant and positive effect on the well being of residents of this area and on through traffic on the A5.
The Petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Secretary of State for Transport to find ways and means of providing a traffic light controlled system at this dangerous junction, as recommended in the A5 Chequers Hill Review Study, carried out on behalf of the Highways Agency (Works Order No . 96525), by Carillion URS in July 2007.
And the Petitioners remain, etc. ]
[P000187]
