Petition has over 1,000 signatures calling for traffic calming measures in Wolviston.
Residents calling for traffic calming measures for their village handed a petition with more than 1,000 signatures to the council.
Organisers hope the petition will lead to a debate in a Stockton Council meeting. A speedwatch group says speed monitoring checks revealed “significant excessive speeds” with more than 2,700 vehicles travelling over 30mph in two weeks in the village near the A19 and A689.
Breffni Martin from Wolviston Parish Council, chair of the Wolviston Village Community Speedwatch Group, said: “The data does not lie, the speed wires say 4,500 cars a day cut through our village, 3,000 of these are speeding. Its only a matter of time before someone is killed.
“It’s shocking when you look at the figures. That’s why so many people signed the petition.
“Wynyard Road is like a racetrack. There’s been a lot of accidents.
“The idea was for traffic calming measures in the village. It’s a cut-through to the hospital to avoid the A19 and it’s dangerous. The speeds were frightening coming off the A689.
“The idea is the parish council is prepared to put some money towards it, the ward councillors can put money in. We need Stockton Council to match-fund the money.
“This is what the petition is about, to show Stockton Council the concern of the villagers.” Last year residents held a protest on the village green with councillors, schoolchildren and teachers.
Ward councillor Marcus Vickers said: “This shows community spirit is alive and well in Wolviston village, and elsewhere throughout our ward. The petition has been led by residents of the community speedwatch group, who we have been proud to work with, and with the local parish council to say enough is enough.
“There have been several accidents and incidents over the last few months in the village, including crashes, overturned cars, and pedestrians in wheelchairs being hit.”
He said they analysed raw data from the speed measurement cables, from one week in September 2023 for Wynyard Road and High Street, and one week in April 2024 for Coal Lane and Durham Road. The combined figures showed average speeds of 30 to 31mph for all except Durham Road, but it showed more than 2,700 vehicles speeding over 30mph over the two weeks.
Cllr Vickers said: “I was shocked but not surprised really. It’s been a problem for a while.
“Residents have been reporting it. We feel something will only happen when someone gets killed. We don’t want that statistic at all.
“The petition’s gone to council, they’ve verified it potentially it could be heard at full council because it’s got over 1,000 signatures.”
He said council money was needed to meet the high cost of measures like speed cushions: “The ward budgets are never that big, it’s practically impossible. We’re pressuring to try and get the council fully fund it or if we can part-fund it through our budget and through the parish council and the council can try and match us.”
In April 2024 six people in their late teens and early 20s were seriously injured after a car crashed into a barn wall on Coal Lane. Just over a year earlier, a car was left on its roof following a crash on Wolviston High Street.
One resident, Alan Rennie, said: “Wolviston residents and the hundreds of friends who signed the petition are wholeheartedly behind the installation of speed restrictions in the village, to hopefully mitigate the risk of a serious, if not fatal, accident.” Another resident, Vici Collins, said: “It’s only a matter of time before someone is killed in Wolviston, it’s becoming a racetrack for the most dangerous drivers with no regard for anyone including the children walking to the village school.”
And Mary Pearson said: “I have witnessed some awful accidents in the last year, principally down to speeding vehicles large and small. I beg SBC to take urgent action on the petition. I would be devastated if a fatal accident occurs before something is done about the speeding.”