Amesbury Calls for lower speed limits

Call for reduced speed limit
By Roland Batten

A PLEA has been made for a busy road in Amesbury to have a lower speed limit.

The call comes from residents of the Beverley Hills Park Homes residents' association, who asked Amesbury town council for its support.

In a letter to the council, residents of the park said the current speed limit of 40mph along Porton Road was too high, and they highlighted three reasons why it should be reduced to 30mph.
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They said there was an increase in the number of young children using Porton Road from the nearby Butterfield Down housing estate.

The population of Beverley Hills is dominated by senior citizens with a high proportion of them having mobility problems.

They have to cross the road to each get to facilities in Amesbury.

And, the volume of traffic using Porton Road had increased dramatically following the creation of a junction with the A303 at Solstice Park, including an increase in heavy lorries.

The council agreed to investigate the possibility of getting the speed limit reduced and to see whether a pedestrian crossing could be installed. The council also agreed that two councillors John Noeken and Margaret Strange would meet park residents over their long-running battle to get a boundary fence erected between the caravan park and the new Solstice Park business estate.

Town councillors heard that a number of road safety schemes were to be provided in the Amesbury area during the coming year.

They include improvements to Low Flying Corner and to Down Barn Road, as part of the development of 500-plus new homes at Boscombe Down, and pedestrian crossings on Earls Court Road and Boscombe Down Road.

* Councillors are to look at relocating the ball wall and shelter at the Holders Road play park so that it does not interfere with the "peace and well-being" of nearby residents.

The council is aware of continuing antisocial behaviour problems at the play park and several cases of criminal damage.

Amesbury police have told the council they will continue to monitor the park and take action whenever possible.