Council's U-turn on road safety plans (From Penarth Times)

Council's U-turn on road safety plans

BEACH Road residents are at the end of their tether after a Vale Council U-turn delayed plans to make their 'dangerous' road safe.

The residents, including many children, claim they risk life and limb every time they leave their properties because there is no pavement between their front garden gates and the busy Beach Road.

After the Penarth Times covered their plight in July, the local authority wrote to the residents saying highway improvements would be made.

These included the introduction of bollards or red bauxite treatment on the inner bend.

In a letter to resident Judith Hunt in August, the council said: "The scheme occupies a high priority on my programme... suffice to say it will be done soon."

But last week Mrs Hunt was left furious after receiving a letter saying plans were postponed.

It stated: "When faced with extremely limited budgets choices have to be made as to which schemes are to be implemented (namely those with the highest road safety implications) and those which have to be held over until funds are available.

"It is with regret that I have to inform you this case now falls into the latter category."

The scheme will be considered again in the next financial year in an amended form, with a view to incorporate a cycle lane on the north side of Beach Road.

Mrs Hunt said: "I was so mad when I got the letter. I did not know how to react. When the Penarth Times got involved the council did something, but now the pressure's off they say they haven't got the funding.

"They say they are going to put a cycle track there, but if they do, people are definitely going to be run down - by cyclists. People just don't use their front gates anymore as it's too dangerous. I'm so angry."