Pedestrian Road Safety
Preston village has a very limited number of footpaths along the length of The Street running from Court Lane to Grove Road, creating a number of safety concerns for pedestrians. During lengthy discussions on this topic, KCC informed Preston Parish Council that there were a number of logistical reasons that prevented the building of any new footpaths along The Street. These included, the variable width of the road, vehicles parked on the road, vehicle entrances to properties, the number of blind bends and the siting of some houses very close to the road.
Given the lack of safe walkways in many parts of the village, the Parish Council considered alternative possibilities in discussions with KCC. As part of the Preston Grange development Preston Parish Council negotiated a new Virtual Pedestrian Walkway as part of the S106 agreement, to provide a link between existing footpaths. This was to run from Grove Road to The Downs. However, the developer did not complete this walkway to the satisfaction of the Parish Council. For further information please click on the above link (shown in bold).
One of the recommendations made in the Highways Improvement Plan was to install a Pedestrian crossing connecting the footpath by The Downs to the Virtual Pedestrian Walkway opposite, allowing all residents including children, elderly and disabled people more time to cross the road safely. KCC informed us that this was not feasible due to the lack of a hard standing in the area of the virtual walkway and the narrow path at The Downs. Preston Parish Council plans to revisit this decision and is also willing to consider other suggestions to achieve the same outcome.
Residents (especially schoolchildren) who board or disembark buses on The Street especially near its junction with Longmete Road are put at risk by the lack of a Safe Pedestrian Area. A proposal was made in the Highways Improvement Plan to modify the layout of the Longmete Road junction to create a hard standing for waiting passengers. This plan has been classed as feasible by KCC subject to the Parish Council meeting the cost. Please click on the above link (shown in bold) for further information.
Given the lack of safe walkways in many parts of the village, the Parish Council considered alternative possibilities in discussions with KCC. As part of the Preston Grange development Preston Parish Council negotiated a new Virtual Pedestrian Walkway as part of the S106 agreement, to provide a link between existing footpaths. This was to run from Grove Road to The Downs. However, the developer did not complete this walkway to the satisfaction of the Parish Council. For further information please click on the above link (shown in bold).
One of the recommendations made in the Highways Improvement Plan was to install a Pedestrian crossing connecting the footpath by The Downs to the Virtual Pedestrian Walkway opposite, allowing all residents including children, elderly and disabled people more time to cross the road safely. KCC informed us that this was not feasible due to the lack of a hard standing in the area of the virtual walkway and the narrow path at The Downs. Preston Parish Council plans to revisit this decision and is also willing to consider other suggestions to achieve the same outcome.
Residents (especially schoolchildren) who board or disembark buses on The Street especially near its junction with Longmete Road are put at risk by the lack of a Safe Pedestrian Area. A proposal was made in the Highways Improvement Plan to modify the layout of the Longmete Road junction to create a hard standing for waiting passengers. This plan has been classed as feasible by KCC subject to the Parish Council meeting the cost. Please click on the above link (shown in bold) for further information.