Parish councils join forces to call for A607 near Melton to be made safer

Hoby with Rotherby Parish Council has linked up with their counterparts at Frisby on the Wreake, Rearsby and Kirby Bellars Parish Councils to lobby county council highways to bring in safety improvements on the key local route.

Discussions have also taken place with the Principal of Brooksby College with concerns over the road impacting the many students and staff who use that campus.

A number of fatal collisions have occurred in recent years on the A607, including the one which claimed the life of 37-year-old Syston man Ashley Aldridge at Frisby Top in June last year, as well as several others which have caused serious injuries.

The four councils argue that the route is much busier since the last safety improvements were introduced and traffic will continue to increase from the many housing developments being constructed close to it.

Vic Allsop, clerk to Hoby with Rotherby Parish Council, and speaking on behalf of the other three parish councils, said of their joint-meeting: “Councillors were of the opinion that the A607 is a much busier road these days.

"The amount of additional house building that has taken place in close proximity to the A607 is significant and, by definition, these households then become users of this road which has increased traffic significantly.

"During this time of increased building very little has happened to change the A607 to any great degree.

"Councillors agreed that the condition of the A607, along with increased traffic which they all notice, raises a number of causes for concern.”

In a joint-statement the councils flag up a lengthy list of concerns relating to safety issues from the Samworth Brothers HQ, on the edge of Melton, to the roundabout at Queniborough.

Among the many dangers they highlight revolve around speed limits, traffic lights, the safety of young people crossing the road at Kirby Bellars, highway layouts, accidents and fatalities, the Rearsby bypass, the new access to the Brooksby College campus and lighting on the route.

The parish councillors say a safety review should be undertaken along the entire route from Melton to Queniborough rather than focusing on individual areas where safety is an issue.

Their statement adds: “Councillors believe that a review of this important part of the local infrastructure is long overdue, and that discussions with the local parish councils, as well as the appropriate county council departments, police, local MP and borough and county councillors, might well help decision makers see the problems regularly experienced on this piece of the A607.”

In response to the points raised, a spokesperson for Leicestershire County Council told the Melton Times: “The county council’s most recent analysis did not identify any interventions that would improve safety condition, based on what we know about incidents that have occurred along that stretch of the A607.”

“We will be looking into the concerns raised in the parish council’s letter and responding as soon as we can."