I NOTE that Thursday’s BCP Planning Committee is being asked to approve the creation of a completely new junction with traffic lights on the busy A341 Magna Road to facilitate the building of 695 new houses etc. on former green belt land at Bearwood.

The proposed junction is to be formed by the demolition of house No. 94 to give access to the development site.

Unfortunately the new junction is sited near a slight bend and on a significant slope.

Moreover, in order to create space for turning lanes, it is proposed to divert cyclists approaching the junction from the cycle lanes on the highway to share the footpaths with pedestrians on all the approaches and also to reduce the width of the existing grass verges.

Added to the undeniable risk of cyclist/pedestrian collisions at any time, day or night, these measures introduce the additional risk that residents exiting their drives in their cars often with limited site-lines will collide with hurrying cyclists.

Should any of these collisions spill onto the highway the consequences could be horrific.

How can this proposal be deemed safe, or is this a junction too far?

LESLIE LEGG

Runnymede Avenue, Bearwood