Flockton Bypass
For those who regularly drive through the Cooper Bridge area of Huddersfield, you may be interested in viewing the revised proposals for traffic flow improvement and adding your say on the final choice.
A62 to Cooper Bridge Corridor Improvement Scheme – second consultation
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Old newspaper article from 1990, provided by David R
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The next follow-up meeting, about concerns raised by local people to Flockton, is on Thursday 21st March from 7pm at St James's Church.
"I do hope you will be able to attend and would be grateful if you could help me share this with your friends and neighbours." – Cllr. John Taylor
This meeting will be looking at the issues which were raised previously, and starting to progress a number of these.
Previous meeting information and meeting notes here. (Abridged to bypass and roads items)
Full meeting notes here (including some non-bypass items)
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Tuesday 18 July 2023 – 08:50
Another accident at the school zebra crossing this morning, reported on our facebook page. A car coming from Grange Moor end stopped to let kids cross (8:50am) and the car behind didn’t stop (well it did when it hit the car in front). Thankfully no one was hurt.
Local resident (CL) commented:
Editorial comment:
Also, given the recent change in the Highway Code (see below), drivers should now stop if there are people close to a pedestrian crossing, possibly waiting to cross. In the old Highway Code, this wasn't the case and there was actually no obligation to stop… which actually surprised me, as I have always stopped when I have seen pedestrians waiting to cross a zebra crossing.
If the school crossing had traffic lights, it would be patently obvious to drivers on approach that vehicles would be stopping, but in the meantime, why aren't drivers looking ahead and anticipating that someone might stop to let pedestrians cross?
Since 29 January 2022 the Highway Code (Rule H2) states that "…when it comes to pedestrians on a zebra and parallel crossing, drivers, motorcyclists, and cyclists, must give way to pedestrians waiting to cross."
And Rule 195: Zebra and parallel crossings.
As you approach a zebra crossing:
See more on this on the previous posting.
If they can get lights for Bradford, how about Kirklees providing some in Flockton
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Friday 14 July 2023 – mid to late morning
It rarely feels safe to use the zebra crossings in Flockton – whether at the shop end or, in this case, outside the school (school crossing railing visible in the foreground). It's not the first time a car has stopped to let pedestrians cross and then been shunted from behind by another vehicle. Although speeding above the 20mph limit may contribute to these situations, a greater issue seems to be driver attention to both, where they are, and what is happening ahead. In a village like Flockton, where the road is narrower and more congested than your average A-road, everyone – drivers and pedestrians, must always be alert to what is happening around them.
Local resident (JC) commented on our fb social media page:
"This was just the latest crash on the zebra crossing by the school. You can’t see the other car it was shunted across the crossing… A silver Peugeot stopped to allow my husband and the dog to cross, he was a quarter of the way across when he realised the black car was coming way too fast to stop so he stepped back. The black car hit the silver one with such force it was pushed over the crossing. The airbag went off in the black car and it will most certainly be a right off. It was leaking fluid from every orifice at the front, the passenger door wouldn’t open so it was all twisted.
"When the police came to get our CCTV footage they said they have never seen a 20mph through a village without other slowing methods, humps, rumble strips, cameras, etc.
"How many more near misses will it take before something is done. Or does it take a fatality????? It’s a school crossing!!!!!!!"
Posted by JC shortly after the car shunt, this happened. Not only was the car very noisy and speeding excessively, but given that JC was at the crossing, by law the driver should have slowed to a stop on an assumption a pedestrian was about to cross.
14/07/202 11:25am
Since 29 January 2022 the Highway Code (Rule H2) states that "…when it comes to pedestrians on a zebra and parallel crossing, drivers, motorcyclists, and cyclists, must give way to pedestrians waiting to cross."
And Rule 195: Zebra and parallel crossings.
As you approach a zebra crossing:
Editorial comment: Residents have mentioned a number of things they'd like from Kirklees Council, pending a bypass or link road. These include cameras, speed bumps, and traffic lights at pedestrian crossings. The Council will talk about both cost and a need for fatalities to justify the expense for such suggestions – hence the current compromise of 20 mph signage.
I wasn't aware that Highways put speed bumps on A-roads, but given this statement (found on the Internet) perhaps they do:
"Speed bumps should be fitted on roads that have a speed limit of a maximum of 30 mph. Speed bumps are to be affixed for an area to have a 20 mph speed limit and where there are street lights and low traffic."
Interesting that the word "should" is used.
However, some organisations, such as the AA, say:
"As we discovered in a 2016 survey, inventions such as speed bumps are not exactly beloved. While effective when properly used, traffic calming measures have been accused of increasing exhaust fumes from braking cars, slowing down emergency vehicles and angering residents."
If you mention 'average speed over distance' cameras at each end of the village, critics suggest that people may turn into, or out of, side roads, but generally, the vast majority of traffic is simply driving through the village from one end to the other, in either direction. Perhaps, given the danger of using the zebra (Pelican) crossings, they should have traffic lights added.
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The Poynton Relief Road, which runs from Woodford in Stockport to Adlington near Macclesfield, will cut out the need for traffic travelling between east Cheshire and south Manchester to pass through the centre of Poynton which residents say has been blighted by bottlenecks for years.
The 3.5km (2.2 miles) long road – named Roy Chadwick Way after the legendary aircraft designer – has a dedicated three-meter-wide walking and cycling path.
"Ours would cost a fraction of this, possibly 1/4 now after recent material costs rises! Never say never." – Dave Rawling
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"In nearly every community meeting I have been so far this year, one topic that keeps coming up is speeding, parking and related traffic issues and this was of course the topic of the public meeting I hosted last week at Shepley Methodists.
"The priorities for the Police Force are set by the West Yorkshire Mayor and she has just published a public engagement survey, it takes a few minutes to fill in but the more people that do so and share their concerns/issues, the more chance we have of effecting change. Please click on the link below and complete the survey and please share it far and wide, so we get the maximum numbers of responses. The bigger the response rate, the more likely something will change as a result of it." – Cllr John Taylor (Posted on social media 27 June 2022)
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After experiencing Flockton's traffic situation, Huddersfield resident, Furstch Laghst, felt inspired to put his feelings into song:
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At some time around 2:00 am on Sunday 31 October 2021, a car managed to demolish Flockton's traffic calming traffic lights before coming to rest on its roof and the driver scarpering!
Several residents reported and discussed the accident on local social media groups and expressed their anger and concern that yet another major accident had occurred, though fortunately without fatalities.
Furthermore, some residents ran a few checks:
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