Forsbrook - epetition reply15 June 2007

We received a petition asking:

"We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to install a safe pedestrian crossing in the village of Forsbrook, Staffordshire."

Details of Petition:

"A pedestrian crossing is needed in the village of Forsbrook on Cheadle road, that suffers from speeding, heavy traffic on blind bends. The public and school children are expected to negotiate this road with no safety at all, taking there lives into there hands. Staffordshire county council insist that some one must die before they will look at the situation and have withdrawn funding for a proposed crossing."

Read the Government's response

The decision as to whether to install a pedestrian crossing in the village of Forsbrook is a matter for the local highway authority, in this case Staffordshire County Council.

Local authorities have powers to establish crossings on roads for which they are the highway authority and they have a duty to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of vehicular and other traffic (including pedestrians). These are granted under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984.

The Department for Transport is not able to direct that a crossing be installed. The local highway authority is best placed to make decisions taking into consideration local circumstances.

The Department for Transport has, however, published guidance to local authorities in Local Transport Note (LTN) 1/95 The Assessment of Pedestrian Crossings. You can find this document at http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/roads/tpm/ltnotes (new window). The guidance recommends an assessment framework for local authorities to consider when assessing crossing sites. It encourages authorities to assess factors influencing the need for a crossing, including pedestrian numbers and composition, accident record, vehicle speeds, visibility and proximity to bus stops. The guidance suggests entering these into a decision framework so that alternative solutions can be compared and an objective decision made as to whether a crossing is needed and what type is most suitable.

The guidance, which is not mandatory, incorporates a considerable degree of flexibility to cope with local situations. This is because not all sites may be suitable for pedestrian crossings and a poorly sited crossing may add to the dangers for pedestrians and other road users.

Local authorities may choose to set their own criteria to help them prioritise the sites in their area.