Crossgar residents ‘neglected in every shape and form’ claim

Crossgar residents ‘neglected in every shape and form’ claim

10 July 2013

CROSSGAR residents angry at a failure to introduce road safety measures in the village say they have been “neglected in every shape and form”.

At a recent meeting of Down Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) in Crossgar, several expressed frustration that years of campaigning on the issue had got them nowhere.

The well attended meeting was the first to be held in public since the new PSCP was formed in May 2011 as an amalgamation of District Policing Partnerships and Community Safety Partnerships.

Concerns raised by Crossgar residents focused on the need for speed ramps by Glasswater Primary School on John Street, all day parking on double yellow lines in the village, congestion caused by buses and parents parking at St. Colmcille’s High School and the need for proper parking at the doctor’s surgery on James Street.

One John Street resident said traffic heading to the primary school and doctors surgery was “far beyond what was ever intended”.

“The situation has got to the stage where someone will be killed,” he said, adding “mothers of children late for school” were adding to the congestion problem.

“It has got to the stage where I have actually challenged drivers,” he said.

“The traffic on that street means a youngster does not have a chance if they put a foot out on to the road.”

Another resident said she was fed up of attending interagency meetings on the problem of speeding cars.

“These have been ongoing for at least six years,” she said. “There has been nothing done in Crossgar.

“There is going to be an accident. We need ramps in Crossgar. We have told the police, we have told the DOE, we have told Robert Sharpe [Roads Service]. Crossgar is neglected in every shape and form.”

Agreeing with her assessment, one man said William Street and John Street were sometimes impossible to navigate . He added that it was “not just young people” who were to blame for irresponsible driving in the area.

“There are a lot of middle aged and elderly people who have no respect for other people,” he said. “Drink driving among elderly and middle aged people is endemic. There is hard core of middle aged and older people who seem to think they are above the law.”

Speeding was also raised as a problem in other parts of the district.

Councillor Billy Walker said he had had six years of the DRD “passing the buck to the PSNI” over speeding vehicles in Killyleagh, where a new pedestrian crossing was required.

A 20mph speed limit was also requested for De Courcy Way in Dundrum due to the amount of children playing in the area.

Responding to the concerns raised, PSNI Area Commander Chief Deirdre Bones said a recent speeding survey in Crossgar indicated most vehicles were within speed limits. She said the introduction of speed panels to warn motorists were a possibility.

Ms. Bones also appealed for people to report speeding incidents as they occurred to her officers.

Both Ms. Bones and PCSP chairman Willie Clarke said they would feed back concerns raised at the meeting to the relevant government agencies.

“I share your frustrations,” said councillor Clarke.

The meeting also featured road safety demonstrations and presentations from the Fire and Rescue Service, the Department of the Environment and the PSNI. Constable Karen Revels-Ward said a new initiative involving children tackling the issue of poor driving in Newcastle would be rolled out in the Autumn.

Down Area Commander Chief Inspector Deirdre Bones also gave a presentation on the latest crime figures, which were released to the public in May. The statistics showed a reduction in burglary by 14.6 per cent and an increase in the number of drug seizures by 23.2 per cent. In general, the total number of crimes is Down is down 3.1 per cent between April 2012 and March 2013 compared to the same period in 2011/12.