Coming home from the school run, I found my neighbour‘s daughter sweeping the road. Apparently at about 3.15pm today, a white (similar size to a VW Polo) hit the first chicane bollard, snapping it in two, and losing a substantial amount of its underside bodywork. It didn’t stop and left the scene. A little sooner/ later and it could easily have hit a pedestrian or child coming from school.
Hi PP,
Do you know if the person who witnessed the accident reported it to the police? If we do not report these incidents, then the police will not be able to do anything about dangerous drivers who speed through Spooner a Row. Also, if it is not reported then our new Community Council will not be able use it as evidence to lobby the highways department to possibly change the location of the chicane. One of the options we have been discussing is, wether or not both of the chicanes need to be moved to reflect where the speed limits change on the entrances to Spooner Row.
I have previously raised the question on the message board about resurrecting the community speed watch. Perhaps we should try again if we believe speeding through the village could lead to an accident.
The chicanes were put there originally to stop the constant problem of speeding vehicles. Both Bunwell Road and by the school were identified as hazardous areas.
Thanks for the info on why the chicanes were positioned where they are. However, there is now more housing beyond the chicane on the Bunwell Road, with the entrance to these houses only just up from the chicane. The 30 mph limit starts at the chicane, but there are now 28 houses within the village which are outside of the 30 mph limit; this includes those on Hill Road which is a blind junction in the 40 mph zone. We therefore thought it might be worth trying to slow vehicles down further out from the centre of the village. Probably an issue worthy of wider discussion for the community to express their views to the new Community Council.
Hi Stephen, the incident was reported to the police. I’m pleased to hear the driver was caught! I’m surprised the car got to Wymondham with the amount that was left outside the house! I was part of the speed watch team previously. I’m happy to be part of it again. Speeding drivers is a constant concern...and there seems to be many playing chicken at the chicanes.
It sounds like the Bunwell Road chicane needs to be moved further out to cater for the extra houses along there. The only problem is that the Highways Dept doesn't have the funding. Perhaps the local landowner/developer should be revisited for a contribution to help this length of highway be safer.
I have spoken to Norfolk County Council Highways repeatedly with concerns on the location of this chicane now that it sits adjacent to new housing.
A meeting with a recently retired Inspector who held the senior road safety brief at Norfolk Constabulary reinforced the view that this chicane was now in the wrong place and needed to be pushed back. Norfolk County Council Highways are reluctant to move forward on this issue.
The future effectiveness of this site and soon the chicane at Station Road will need to considered. Regrettably neither Highways Officer made comment with regard to the chicanes at the time of the original planning applications and so it is too late to return to the developers for a financial contribution towards possible relocation costs.
