'There's no safe way off the estate' – Lack of pedestrian crossings causing worries for Banbury residents
Residents on a Banbury estate are concerned that there is no safe way for people to leave the estate due to a lack of pedestrian crossings.
Hanwell Chase residents said the shortage of pedestrian crossings on their estate poses a safety threat.
The estate, which was completed over three stages, the last in 2022, is bordered by Dukes Meadow Drive to the south and Warwick Road to the west.
Fields and agricultural land surround the estate to the east and to the north.
However, when developers Persimmon Homes built Hanwell Chase, they didn’t include any crossing walks from the estate across Warwick Road and only a few dropped kerb crossings on Dukes Meadow Drive.
This means that residents who want to leave the estate on foot or in a wheelchair have only one safe option: to cross Warwick Road south of the roundabout for Dukes Meadow Drive.
Resident Stephen Rainsbury said: “We, residents of Hanwell Chase estate, are very concerned that there are no safe crossing points along the west end of Dukes Meadow Drive or across Warwick Road, north of the roundabout by the Sainsbury’s Local.
“There are no dropped kerbs or mid-road safe spaces, which causes problems for wheelchair users who have no safe way off the estate, mothers walking children with pushchairs to Hanwell Fields School or teenagers walking to North Oxfordshire Academy.
“It is also a safety threat for residents using the path that crosses the estate towards the Sainsbury's Local or children who want to use the play park in Usher Drive.”
Stephen says he would like to see a few crossings with traffic lights introduced to the estate to make crossings safer for pedestrians and those using wheelchairs.
He added: “Ironically, just a few hundred yards south of the Warwick Road and Dukes Meadow Drive junction, there is a pedestrian crossing with lights, so at some point somebody has acknowledged that the traffic there is heavy and pedestrians need assistance.”
Cllr Andrew Crichton, who represents the Hardwick ward, which includes Hanwell Chase, on Cherwell District Council, has been campaigning for safer pedestrian access routes on the estate for the past few years.
He said: “I have spoken to so many residents of Hanwell Chase who would like better crossing points in this area. Even just a few drop kerbs near Watts Road and Nickling Road would make a big difference to parents with pushchairs and people with mobility issues.
“Residents are understandably frustrated that, despite repeated requests over several years, nothing has materialised.
“I thought we were getting somewhere in 2023 when an Oxfordshire County Council officer assured Cllr Biegel, my colleague on the Banbury Traffic Advisory Committee, that this was being looked at, but in my latest question at full council last week, I was told that officers 'have no knowledge’ of such a request.
“Once again, it feels like Banbury is being treated like an afterthought. I hope that the County Council and Persimmon will work together to find a constructive solution to this issue.”
Oxfordshire County Council have confirmed that a signalled pedestrian crossing near the Sainsbury's local on Warwick Road, as well as a crossing opposite Orchard Park on Dukes Meadow Drive, are both in the works.
A spokesperson for the council said: “There is a signalised pedestrian crossing being constructed across the Warwick Road as part of the highway works associated with the Drayton Lodge development.
“Another location on Dukes Meadow Drive has come up as needing a crossing, and we have funding to deliver, but no dates yet.”
“There is also an existing uncontrolled crossing point at the western end of Dukes Meadow Drive.”
A Persimmon Homes spokesperson said: “We understand residents’ concerns and can confirm that all roads at Hanwell Chase were built to plans approved by Oxfordshire County Council. “Pedestrian crossings are in place at all junctions with footpaths on both sides, in line with council standards. The roads are now in the final stages of adoption, with remedial works completed and a final inspection due shortly. “We remain committed to working with the council and residents to ensure the estate is safe and accessible.”