Caerphilly AM Jeff Cuthbert will call on highways officers to erect a crash barrier on Mountain Road after a spate of crashes near houses.
Three cars have crashed into gardens since 2008 and another three crashes have occurred near homes and gardens this year.
The incidents have led to a call by residents for Caerphilly County Borough Council to put a crash barrier along the road to protect their children.
The latest crash took place on December 16 and Labour Councillor James Pritchard has labelled the highways department ‘dogmatic’ for not answering campaigners’ pleas for a barrier.
Mr Cuthbert will meet with council officials on January 9 to press for action.
He said: “The case for a crash barrier on the Mountain Road is compelling considering the particular danger at this site.
“The highways department acknowledge the provision of a safety barrier would offer protection to nearby properties but insist the criteria for its implementation has not been met.
“Naturally I feel it’s important that a crash barrier is erected at the earliest opportunity to safeguard local residents who continue to be put at risk through no fault of their own.”
I hope the council do not listen to him. It is not the council’s responsibility to cover for the wrongdoings of the homeowners in that area.
Please explain “wrongdoings of the home buyers” is it not the fault of the speeding motorist causing local residents to be put at risk through no fault of their own ?
At what point do you make the home buyers responsible for the speeding motorist who has absolutely no respect for the safety of others ?
Not all RTA’s are caused by drivers breaking the speed limit most are purely the fault of the driver, you yourself I guarantee that if you drive a car break the speed limit virtually every single time you take to the road. The people who live alongside this road do so at their own choice, nobody forced them to buy a house in this location, the council are not responsible for their decisions, they decided to buy their houses of their own free will.
Mate that is an absolutely terrible comment to make.
If a child is killed would you have the same opinion ?
If this happened outside your house would you blame yourself ?
This road urgently needs traffic calming measures !!!
“This road urgently needs traffic calming measures.” No it certainly does not, it is a major arterial road. I am not in favour of these bumps and chicanes that have appeared in recent years.
The residents in this area want a barrier, just give them a barrier. The council wastes money at a huge rate, Chief Executive pay scandal, Bargoed cinema, community safety wardens, etc. Just give the Highway Dept. some money and the instruction to erect a barrier. Job done, children safe, residents happy, nobody out of pocket as the cash came from reduction in waste in other areas.
I am not in favour of these bumps and chicanes either.
May I suggest Traffic calming -> Speed camera, we pay enough towards the police in our council tax, let them do something to earn it.
You can tell you’re a councillor, you could have replied without all the “waffle” with one comment
“The residents in this area want a barrier, just give them a barrier.” To coin a phrase – Job done ! ! !
Please point out what waffle? A camera would only record speed at this area. The residents, whom I have spoken with, do not consider speed to be the only factor. They merely request a barrier. I agree with the residents.
This barrier can be quickly erected and paid for by cutting the money that the council currently wastes. To point out the wasteful use of my, and every other council tax payers, money is not ‘waffle’ it is just representing the people. I don’t care if they are Tories, Plaid, UKIP or Labour.
Yes I agree, If the residents want a barrier then give them one, what’s with all the unnecessary arguing ?
Why are you going on about Chief Executive pay scandal, Bargoed cinema, community safety wardens, is there anything the council does that you wouldn’t find fault with ?
Get a grip man ……
Andrew, it is you who need to get a grip. I agree with most of what the Labour council does. I also agreed with much that the previous Plaid Cymru council did, in fact the Plaid Council did many things better than the current administration.
I was elected to represent all the people in my ward, this means that I have to consider their aspirations, the funds available and the politcal make up of the county and town. In the case of the barrier I am in favour of the residents and those who signed the petition and point out that the (Labour) council wastes huge amounts of money that could be used to erect this barrier and put this issue to bed once and for all.
I am not anti Labour, (I was once a Labour member) or anti Plaid, or any other party. I am a devout campaigner for the people of Caerffili. This is the town where I live and I believe strongly that the people should be informed of scandals such as the pay rates of the Chief Executive, his deputy, and the other over paid administrators. If we can pay for a safety barrier by reducing their pay slightly I am fully in favour. If you are against this principle I suggest you stand for election.
Cllr Richard Williams – Until this weekend I’ve never even heard of you and I have lived in Caerphilly since birth, that’s 50 years.
I’ve no interest in standing for election to become just another member of the “Pick holes in everything and blame others” brigade.
Why don’t all you councillors work together instead of arguing over anything that takes your fancy.
It’s like throwing scraps to a pack of dogs…..
Funnily enough I have never heard of you either.
I wouldn’t expect you to, you would never meet the grade in my circles.
The fact remains that the people who live in those houses brought them knowing the exact location of the houses in relation to the road. Don’t buy a house next to a pig farm and then complain about the smell. There are thousands of houses in Caerphilly that are situated within a few feet of the public highway ( including mine ) a vehicle could leave the road at any place at any time and cause the death of an innocent person, what do you want the council to do line every stretch of road in the borough with crash barrier. The speed limit on that particular section of road should be reduced to 30mph and a few mini roundabouts painted on the road at the junctions accessing the housing estate. This would not cost much and would not only slow the traffic but actually make drivers concentrate their minds when approaching the mini roundabouts. Give these people a crash barrier and then they would campaign for compensation as they would argue that Caerphilly council knowingly allowed their houses to be built in an accident black spot which has now made their properties unsellable.
Andrew, Why are you so rude and arrogant? is this the future face of your political group? and your `Grade`?.
But I do agree with you in respect to the matter in hand, the CCBC should provide a barrier, end of, full spot, no more debate, The Highways Officers of the Council have to be sidestepped by the gang of seven Cabinet, they simply need to make the decision and instruct officers to carry it out. In Andrews words, Job done.
Trefor I’m not rude and have no intention to be. I call a spade a spade and there are some that can’t handle that.
To quote Cllr Richard Williams “Just give the Highway Dept. some money and the instruction to erect a barrier. Job done, children safe, residents happy.”
Why all this arguing ? Shall we wait until some innocent person or child is killed before someone comes to their senses ?
Don’t forget councillors, these are the people you will be asking to vote for you !!
LineDrawn Andrew!
I agree with Jeff and my posted comment, I THINK you and I agree about this process????
Yes we agree, I wish others did also….
Andrew, your clear demonstration of political Bypartisanship on this issue is profound, to thier credit, local Elected Plaid Cymru ward members have been asking for this barrier for months,but, perhaps with the bigger hitting power of Jeff Cuthbert the Council may see the error of their ways and erect one?