WITH the approach of the lighter evenings, I must once again raise the question of traffic calming measures on Southwood Drive and Burns Drive in Baxenden.

Some five years ago, I finally persuaded the county council to undertake a traffic speed check on the last 200 yards of Southwood which leads on to Manchester Road. The result was that the "average speed noted on Southwood Drive was 34 miles per hour."

I was, and still am, under the impression that the urban speed limit remains at 30mph. But I can categorically state that during the morning and evening rush hours that speed is far exceeded (usually by women drivers) and in the summer months by the local crop of lunatic "boy racers."

Driving around the borough I notice that many areas - Woodnook, Scaitcliffe, Blackburn Road, Charter Street, and other parts of Accrington and Oswaldtwistle - have either "ramps" or "throttles" which play a great role in slowing traffic. In Baxenden, we have none.

It goes without saying that as we have a socialist-controlled council, together with one in Preston, that one would expect officialdom to pander to those areas where their potential voters live; and this is the result.

Meanwhile, we, here in Baxenden, have to miss out on simple and inexpensive measures which would help save lives.

Perhaps our esteemed local officials would like to take another look at the situation and actually do something for the village before the inevitable tragedy happens.

KEVIN WEBB, Burns Drive, Baxenden.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.