Residents launch campaign for pedestrian crossing

Residents in a Somerset town have started a campaign for a pedestrian crossing on a busy road.

People who live near the A39 in Glastonbury want the crossing installed to make it easier for pedestrians coming from a housing estate at the junction with Ranger Road to access a supermarket and food shops.

The nearest current crossing is 400m away and residents say another is needed in order for people to cross safely.

Glastonbury Town Council said it had "supported this idea and submitted it to Somerset Council as the highway authority for consideration."

Somerset Council said: "Our team would work alongside the town council if they wish to fund investigations and provision of crossings, as we have done in many communities across Somerset."

Bev Coggan is leading the campaign and has held a meeting in the local scout hut for residents to discuss their options.

"In an ideal world, we'd like some sort of push button pedestrian crossing to make it safe for everybody and we'd like to see that before an accident does actually happen," she said.

Ms Coggan started the campaign after she tried to cross the road with her five grandchildren.

"I came along here with the five children and thought, how do we cross over? It's too far to walk down one way to the crossing... then all the way back. It's a bit dangerous."

Simon Cox, who is also part of the campaign, said: "People walk across it [the road], they stand in the middle with the traffic going fast both ways, should they be able to walk to shops safely?"

A Glastonbury Town Council spokesperson said: "The town council is taking on a number of non-statutory services including the cleaning and maintenance of public conveniences, financially supporting the town centre CCTV services, the maintenance of open spaces and play parks alongside their future improvement.

"The cost of a pedestrian crossing is not something that can be reasonably expected of the town council whilst being mindful of local tax increases when it is protecting other vital services for the community."

Somerset Council said: "We are always happy to look into concerns raised by the community and have discussed this location with local council members and the town council."

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