Two road deaths: Highways boss backs lower speed limit

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 7th May 2007

Following the deaths of two University of Essex students on Clingoe Hill in less than a year, a senior officer of Essex Highways is to recommend that the existing 70 mph speed limit should be reduced.

This follows a meeting held last month by Colchester MP Bob Russell, accompanied by the parents of the first student who was killed last autumn, with the Area Highway Manager Mr Geoff Harris when they requested that the national speed limit on the dual-carriage should be reduced to 50 mph.

Today Mr Russell revealed that, as a result of that meeting, he had now received a letter from Mr Harris who promised that he would be recommending a change in the speed limit.

Mr Harris told Mr Russell: "While this would normally be outside the County Council's policy, I will propose the change to the new Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation as soon as possible.

"If he agrees, there will still be a legal process to follow and it may therefore take a minimum of three months."

Mr Harris also said that a further suggestion made by Mr Russell, for the installation of street lights on the section of Clingoe Hill where students cross from the University campus to where they live on the Greenstead Estate, will be considered as part of proposals to improve safety.

Mr Russell said: "I am most grateful to Mr Harris for his encouraging response to the request which I and the parents of the first student to lose his life put to him at our meeting last month.

"There will have to be a lower speed limit in a couple of years' time when a roundabout is built near the foot of Clingoe Hill to provide a new access into the University as part of a major development. The dropping of the speed limit now, in advance, will hopefully help prevent a third tragedy after a second student was killed last week in almost the same section of Clingoe Hill."

In his letter to Mr Russell, Mr Harris also pointed out: "My engineers have visited the site with a view to providing more direction to pedestrians to use either the underpass or the appropriate crossing point at the Greenstead roundabout. The University will play an important role in helping to direct pedestrians."

In addition, the County Road Safety Education Team is to develop a campaign that emphasises the dangers of crossing dual-carriageways at inappropriate locations.

The Students' Union at the University has launched a campaign for a 50 mph speed limit on Clingoe Hill in advance of the construction of the proposed new roundabout access into Wivenhoe Park.

Last Thursday Mr Russell and North Essex MP Mr Bernard Jenkin joined forces in supporting the campaign. The section of Clingoe Hill where the two students were killed straddles the boundary between their two constituencies.