Highways bid for North Drive and River Drive in March would make roads safer for all users

March Town Council is making a bid for a £36,000 road improvement scheme after residents complained about poor parking.

At Monday night’s meeting of the town council Cllr Martin Field put forward a scheme for North Drive under the Local Highways Improvement programme which is funded by Cambridgeshire County Council.

Cllr Field told the meeting that nearly all the residents in North Drive and River Drive had added their signatures to a petition supporting the scheme, which would see North Drive widened to make it safer.

In his proposal document Cllr Field explains that North Drive is a narrow road and is the only access to River Drive – both roads are lined by former council bungalows occupied largely by older people or those with disabilities.

Because of its close proximity to the river North Drive is used by anglers who park their vehicles, largely vans, that in turn cause problems for the residents, trying to access their driveways.

It has also led to problems for emergency services trying to access both North Drive and River Drive and Cllr Field highlighted one incident where a patient had to be wheeled along the street from River Drive to North Drive to be put into an ambulance, that was unable to get to their property.

Cllr Field said: “The proposal would leave residents and anglers vehicles safer and make access along the road safer for cyclists and pedestrians because cars would be parked off the main road and not blocking pavements or obscuring the view of cyclists and pedestrians using the road, footbridge, at the end of the road, or North Drive park.”

The scheme will take up a small strip of land from the edge of North Drive Park, but Cllr Field said the loss would be minimal and said the piece of land in question is already frequently reduced to mud due to some drivers parking on it.

The new parking bays proposed would encourage better parking habits for the anglers and would allow them to more easily pursue their hobby.

The LHI bid was backed by all councillors, along with a bid for an additional mobile speed sign for the town, which could be used at locations where speeding is a real issue.

Cllr Christy said data from the existing signs showed they did have an impact on helping to reduce speeding.