Residents have called for action on a “dangerous” junction near Nantwich which has seen three accidents in three days.
The latest incident happened on Wednesday (February 15) at the junction of the A534 with Monk’s Lane and Cuckoo Lane, at Acton.
Fire crews and a major rescue unit from Northwich were sent after a collision involving two vehicles at the junction. One person was trapped in the wreckage.
Police had to close the road while the rescue took place.
It follows an accident which happened at the same junction on Sunday lunchtime (February 12), and again on Monday evening at around 6.30pm.
Cheshire Police say they were called out at 11.37am on Sunday to a collision on Monks Lane involving a black Audi A4 and a silver Vauxhall Corsa. A woman suffered minor injuries.
And on Monday they said the collision on Cuckoo Lane involved a grey Audi and a white Ford Transit. No one was injured.
One resident who lives nearby said he warned Cheshire East Council about the junction more than a year ago.
The man, who we have agreed not to name, said: “Since Sunday, there has been three significant crashes (that I know of) at the monk’s lane/A534/cuckoo lane junction.
“What will it take for Cheshire East Council to act and make this junction safe?
“I have been in contact with the council regarding this junction.
“Allowing cars to travel through the junction at 60 miles per hour is ridiculous.
“Everyone I speak to about this issue agrees with this point.
“The council representative advised that there have been no accidents due to speeding.
“It took me a while to get through my message that I wasn’t complaining about speeding, I was observing that the permitted limit is too fast, and this is one of the primary causes of accidents at this junction.”
The resident who lives near to the junction described how his wife was in their garden with neighbours who are doctors and ran over to help at the time of the first incident on Sunday.
He criticised the council’s existing speed management strategy (SMS), which was quoted to him in a reply a year ago.
“To blindly say we won’t consider changing the speed limit as it does not meet the criteria of the SMS is a bit narrow-minded.
“If crashes are happening, surely that means the speed management strategy is incorrect and should be re-evaluated, particularly in this case.”
We have contacted Cheshire East Council for a statement.
In their email reply last year, they stated: “The council’s existing Speed Management Strategy (SMS) sets out the
criteria of the different speed limits and where these can be applied on the wider network.
“This ensures that the most appropriate speed limit is in place for a particular road and provides a consistent approach when implementing speed limit changes due to new developments or wider route changes.
“Given the existing nature of Monks Lane, a reduction in the speed limit from National speed to 40mph would not be appropriate.”
(Pic of junction by Google Maps)
Cars regularly speed up tge hill from Nantwich and then through the village…needs cameras or traffic calming measures..
The junction where the accidents occurred is further along the Wrexham road (near the old windmill). However, you have illustrated a further hazard as traffic emerges from Monks Lane onto Chester Road (near Acton Church). Motorists have a choice when entering Monks Lane from Chester Road. Either they allow a vehicle to emerge from Monks Lane or risk damaging their own vehicle on the wall of the house at the end (at the same time as damaging the house at the end with their vehicle……) “The house at the end” and the church wall were there long before motor vehicles were created so, maybe, the answer is a one-way system allowing traffic to emerge from Monks Lane and traffic wishing to drive towards Burland, Swanley etc should use Cuckoo Lane and exacerbate the problems which have occurred recently!
Should just be forty, it’s 30 in Burland,then a short section before it’s 30 again going in to Acton.
Audi eh? Says it all really they don’t travel under 30 mph
Turning right at that junction is far too dangerous, and limiting the speed will never be a help
Fitting yellow rumble strips or making hedge-line visibility would be a cheaper option
This is a dangerous junction due to the narrow exit from monks lane onto Chester road. Cars cannot turn left if there is a car in monks lane. They therefore stop on Chester road whilst the car in in monks lane pulls out. Unfortunately cars behind the stationary car overtake hitting the car pulling out of monks lane.There was a development proposed by Dorfold Hall to make the road one way but that has been stuck in planning for 4 year’s at least. Surely this would be a possible answer