Delay warning on crossing

Hundreds of elderly residents from four Black Country streets have learned they may have to wait more than a year for a pedestrian crossing to be installed near their homes.

People living in Apley Road, Wyre Road and Sherwood and Arden Close have been campaigning for the safety measure along Wordsley High Street for nearly a year.

But highways bosses at Dudley Council have placed the scheme on the reserve list of projects for this financial year. It means there is only a slight chance of the work taking place before 2008.

Reserve schemes can take place only if projects on the main programme come in under budget or have to be cancelled for some reason.

All reserve matters are guaranteed a place on the main programme in the next financial year but this means that funding for the crossing would not be available for the project until April 2008 at the earliest.

Residents would then have to wait for the scheme to take its place in a timetable of works, leaving them waiting more than 12 months before the scheme even begins. Campaigners are now hoping the money will be available for the work to take place in the current financial year.

They first called for a crossing after traffic along the road increased substantially over the past year following disruptions by roadworks on other routes.

They want the crossing placed at the junction of High Street and Apley Road to help them cross the increasingly crowded carriageway.

Councillor June Collins, representative for the village, said the crossing was needed to help members of the community. "It really is in the lap of the gods for this financial year," she said.

"As a reserve matter, it all depends on if there is any money left in the budget from other projects. However, if some schemes are not as expensive as first expected, others tend to go over budget, so you are left in the same situation.

"Either way, the scheme will be put forward for the next financial year. However, this is some way off as the year ends in April.

"There are a lot of elderly people living in flats and bungalows nearby and they are experiencing real difficulties with this road at the moment.

"There are also young people who have children in prams and buggies and it is a struggle for them as well."