Residents living near a road where an eight-year-old boy was hit by a car and left fighting for his life have demanded urgent action is taken to stop drivers using it as a “rat run”.
Parents living nearby say they fear for their own children’s lives and councillors have branded the use of Hadley Park Road, in Leegomery, Telford, as a short cut a “disgrace”.
It comes after Tom Rowley suffered serious injuries when he was hit by a car as he was walking back from Hadley Park Stores on Hadley Park Road near his home on Thursday.
He is currently in Birmingham Children’s Hospital and is in a critical but stable condition.
Last night residents turned out to a meeting of Hadley and Leegomery Parish Council and made an emotional plea to members for safety measures – including speed cameras – to be introduced on the road.
They said they were upset over the accident and felt it was only a matter of time before another person was hurt.
Risk
Sharon Howells, who was one of the first on the scene when Tom was hit by the car, said: “I don’t want my children in the same situation that family are in. My children walk to school and I don’t want their lives at risk.
“I just think, why does it have to take a child’s life before something is done?
“Motorists see Hadley Park Road as a short cut. It is a rat run. My solution is to put in speed cameras.”
Councillor Ron Plenderleith said: “We have all been expressing our concerns and we are 110 per cent behind you. It is an absolute disgrace.
“Unfortunately it doesn’t matter what we say at this level as the borough council overrule us. We have got to come up with a solution and my ideas would be to have two speed cameras.”
Councillor Pat Smart, chairman of the parish council, said: “We appreciate your concerns and we do hear what you are saying. We are not satisfied and we will keep on haranguing the borough council.”
Inspector Paul Arnold, from West Mercia Police, urged residents to attend future Partners and Communities Together (PACT) meetings.
Tom’s parents, Sean and Tammy, have said that with “loving support” he stands a chance of pulling through.
By Catherine Roche
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12 Comments
“councillors have branded the use of Hadley Park Road, in Leegomery, Telford, as a short cut a “disgrace”.”
Have the councillors taken time to consider what’s forcing traffic off the main route and onto that road in the first place?
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This road has gradually got worse over the last few years with cars parking on both sides of the road. Sometimes we sit in the front room and listen to the cars speeding down the road and are just waiting for the crash to happen. I don’t know what needs to be completed to calm the traffic down but something needs to be put in place. Best wishes to Tom and his family.
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I live on the road and am in constant fear of my two young boys lives every time they venture out onto the road. The speed some of the motorists come down it is ridiculous. Something has to be done before another tragic accident happens.
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I think that if you were to do a survey that the majority of drivers on that road would be local residents or people using the very busy shop there. It’s definately not a road I would use as a short cut.
On saying that what are roads there for anyway?
No one in their right mind is going to take a road that is two miles longer or has to go through endless traffic lights to get from A to B via C.
If the council are concerned that traffic is taken the shortest routes or routes without endless delays then they really need to look at why and sort out the major routes.
The problem with that road, and I used to live on, it is the cars parked at the side of the road.
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hurry home tom, you have so much to do yet. everyone here in ireland are praying for you, and loving you. we love you tom so so much, and we all need you to come home…. 3 sugars. nanny and grandad ireland. xxx
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I live locally to this road and I use it every day, I am always cautious to stay at the speed limit, but do find it fairly hard to believe that poeple use it as a “rat run”, there are always cars parked on either side of the road, making it near impossible to speed down anyway. I have the deepest sympathy for the family of Tom, I have a 5 year old my self who crosses this road on the way to school. Maybe a few simple speed bumps would help.
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too many parked cars down hadley park road make that road a death trap.there are too many “blind spots”, idiots tear down there without consideration to other pedestrians or cars. it definately needs a calming system down there. Maybe make it one way with speed humps. best wishes to the boy who was injured. he’s the same age as my son.
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Can I also add my best wishes to Tom for a speedy recovery
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Reading all the coments of resident’s and local council I think the bourough council should be held to account for all accidents on this road as the have been made aware of the risks in the past.Howard jones, Malta Please get well Tom Great Gradad
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I live adjacent to Coalport Road, near Madeley.
Coalport road/Legges Way traffic is ridiculous, both volume and speed. And since T&W council “improved” The Lloyds things have got steadily worse.
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Reading some more of the comments, it does sound like a road engineering problem. Symptomatic of all the difficulties T & W Council have in tabling “sensible” highway solutions.
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Reading the article again, I think it would be prudent to wait for the direct causative factor in the accident to be published before any knee-jerk “solutions” to the problem are voiced.
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