Petition signed in battle to curb speed

Residents of a speed plagued road have handed in a petition to Staffordshire County Council as part of their battle to slow down traffic.

People in Bower Lane, Rugeley, have been campaigning for two years to try and tackle speeding.

They have taken action themselves in partnership with Rugeley police by creating a community Speedwatch scheme where volunteers using a laser gun note down the registration plate of drivers going above 36mph. Warning letters are sent out and repeat offenders are visited by police.

Bower Lane is also suffering from alleged subsidence and damage because of the amount of traffic using the lane and lorries from the nearby Cemex quarry.

In their petition 35 of the 60 homes in Bower Lane responded with 100 per cent calling for traffic calming.

Simon Porter, who has lived in Bower Lane with his family for the past six years, said the dangerous state of the road could cause an accident.

He said: "After two years of informing Staffordshire Highways about problems with the road and two years of seeing work going on in others with fewer problems we are not very happy. It is a real shame we are still being overlooked."

Mr Porter said the lane was being damaged by more than 100 lorries a day adding: "The loose sets could cause an accident as they are regularly being flipped onto the carriageway."

James Bailey, Staffordshire Highways head of strategic highway management, said: "We maintain a very diverse network of almost 4,000 miles of public highway.

The condition of Bower Lane and the views of concerned local residents are well documented but in order to ensure that best value is realised from the finite resources available for highway maintenance, investment has to be prioritised on objective principles rather than subjective local demands.

"Balancing the conflict between local expectations and available resources is always a difficult task. Staffordshire Highways ask that the residents of Bower Lane continue to remain patient and understanding of the wider responsibilities of the highway authority."

Routine safety inspections will continue on the lane.