Action urged after house is hit by vehicle

Raymond Perrin's cottage, on the Oswestry to Llansantffraid road, near Llanyblodwel, was hit by a large agricultural vehicle this week, causing damage to slates and brickwork on the gable end of the property.

The worried pensioner says the B4396 road at Tanat Cottages is simply not large enough for two big vehicles to pass safely. He wants to see a speed limit priority road sign put up either side of his house to ensure drivers don't try to pass on the pinch point.

The latest collision happened on Monday. The 72-year-old said: "I think it happened at lunchtime. It was definitely an agricultural vehicle as there was straw and everything embedded in the roof.

"The last time this happened was four months ago. It is a very dangerous stretch of road, it simply isn't wide enough for a car and a large vehicle to pass safely. I have been asking Shropshire Council for about a year to do something about this.

"The engineers have suggested certain signs but I want to see a speed limit and priority road signs so that drivers know they have to stop if something is coming the other way.

"The road is subject to the national 60 miles an hour speed limit and I have been told that a speed restriction would not be relevant because there have not been fatalities on the road. But I am worried that we could see one in the future if this situation continues."

"I have been so shaken after Monday's collision that I have now moved out of my bedroom, which is on that side of the house, and into another room."

Dave Gradwell, Shropshire Council's area traffic engineer, said works would be carried out shortly.

"Mr Perrin made contact on Monday to say his property had received further damage from a passing vehicle.

"I explained to Mr Perrin that Shropshire Council has issued a works instruction to our contractor, Ringway, for the installation of warning signage on both approaches to Tanat Cottages along the B4396 near Llanyblodwel and we are waiting for Ringway to carry out the works. Ringway has been instructed that this work needs to be carried out as a priority."

Mr Perrin said that he had lived in Tanat Cottages for more than a decade and had seen a big difference in the traffic. "The amount of vehicles using the road and speeds have increased," he said. "And the biggest difference has been in the size of the agricultural vehicles on the road. They really are huge these days."