Car exhaust fumes along Victoria Road in Fenton spark health scare
MAJOR changes are set to take place along a busy road in a bid to stop residents breathing in dangerous amounts of car exhaust fumes.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council wants to spend £60,000 making the improvements along Victoria Road, in Fenton.
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FUMING: Action is planned on Victoria Road in Fenton to reduce the amount of car exhaust fumes caused by traffic on the route.
The proposals, which will be introduced along a half-mile stretch from Dewsbury Road to City Road, come after slow moving and stationary traffic was blamed for poor air quality along the stretch.
The work, which will help improve the flow of traffic, will include:
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Changes to the existing parking, loading and unloading restrictions at peak traffic times;
The installation of new and replacement road markings;
New direction signs indicating to motorists the nearest available on-street and off-street parking facilities;
Bus stop improvements aimed at making existing bus stops more accessible to promote public transport, thereby, reducing car use and congestion.
Former city councillor Mick Bell, aged 72, of Mount Pleasant, said: "There will be an issue with fumes and there are a number of houses which are based along Victoria Road and that isn't right for them.
"I understand it is important for businesses to have loading times but it should be like everywhere else where there are specified times. When a wagon stops a bus cannot get past and then you get problems."
The scheme, which has been recommended for approval and is being funded by a Government grant, will also see changes to pedestrian crossings, meaning people will be forced to wait longer before crossing the road.
However, nearby traders today criticised the plans, claiming they will be disruptive and 'a waste of money.'
Jackie Forrest, of Fenton, who works in The Cake Shop, said: "The council has told us we would have to have our deliveries brought around the back but that wouldn't be possible.
"Our delivery drivers are on a certain route so they can't make special arrangements just for us and there is nowhere for them to pull up around the back.
"The changes to the crossings are ridiculous too. People already have to wait too long to cross as it is."
Thirty three-year-old Gurpreet Singh, who runs the Fenton Fryer, said: "People pull up on the road because they nip in for a few minutes and it has never caused a problem with traffic before.
"I have never known traffic to stop because of a few parked cars. The plans would mean our delivery drivers wouldn't be able to stop outside. I don't know how that would work because they can deliver up to 25 bags of potatoes each week."
The owner of Fenton Domestic, Andy Steele, aged 45, of Burslem, said: "When the delivery vans are pulled up on the side the traffic just sorts itself out by overtaking. It's not really a problem."
Anthony Jose, aged 36, of Hanley, owner of Uplink Computers, added: "It will make no difference to the flow of traffic, it will just become an inconvenience to shoppers and delivery drivers who will now have to work harder."
Pete Price, assistant director of technical services at the council, said: "This scheme aims to improve air quality by reducing congestion and enabling a greater free flow of traffic."
22 Comments
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by johnarc
Thursday, March 07 2013, 4:09PM
“The congestion on Victoria road is caused mainly by illegal parking on double yellow lines. Do we actually employ any traffic wardens ? If so, what are they doing ? Let's have them booking EVERY illegally parked vehicle.
When they have finished that, they can go and deal with The Strand in Longton.”
by bod2803
Thursday, March 07 2013, 7:52AM
“all the traffic problems at the top end of victoria road are caused by cars and vans parking on double yellow lines outside the shops
lets have a traffic enforcement officer there for a few days and see what happens!!!”
by JosiahW
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 5:16PM
“Why not see how they did it in Poynton, it's working:
There is a new approach to traffic management - http://tinyurl.com/c7uxecx”
by lagu2
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 11:30AM
“Mumto2boys you will notice I said roundabout not roundabouts, and when you are next down there have a look at what roads are blocked and which are empty and then ask you self if traffic lights would be better, or is it you who can't use roundabouts properly cause I can”
by FFDP1
Wednesday, March 06 2013, 2:51AM
“A better public transport system with First investing in better buses fit for a modern city instead of other cities 10 year old cast offs.That's the main problem hear, most privet cars very clean now. Some problems with dirty lorries as well, so deliveries do need working on, no matter what shop keepers say. The health and well-being of people who live in the area is all important.”
by Mumto2boys
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 10:39PM
“Why do some people think that traffic lights on roundabouts solve problems, they cause congestion.
Its normally people who can't use roundabouts who want traffic lights. lagu2
The double parking, people pulling up on double yellows are the reason for the congestion.”
by firefly2184
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 8:44PM
“The roads in Stoke on Trent are not built for the amount of traffic travelling on them each day. The roads require widening or alternative routes creating especially considering that the amount of vehicles on the roads will continue to increase.
Other city's have a lot more 3 and 4 lane roads in and around the centres but Stoke on Trent is restricted as to how wide roads can be made, however, a few extra signs and some freshly painted double yellow lines will not alter the Victoria Road situation.
I personally think it would be extremely beneficial to increase the size of the roundabout where Lichfield St/Leek Rd/Victoria Rd meet as the majority of drivers in Stoke seem totally incapable of maneuvering their vehicles around small roundabouts and this is where the main "bottleneck" occurs (and more often than those casued by delivery vans at the opposite end of Victoria Rd). The concept that you give way to the right is just too much...”
by backdoorsteve
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 8:33PM
“The council, as usual, are to blame for this and their improvement proposals are just a sticking plaster on a self-inflicted wound. Of course there's congestion. Who allowed so many takeaways, crowded with cars at lunchtime, on such a busy route into/out of Hanley? Who allowed retail parks both sides of the road, Wickes, Aldi, McDonalds, Subway, Poundstretcher, SCS, Halfords, Dunelm Mills...ensuring a constant stream of emerging vehicles that hold up the through traffic? Who lined the route with crossings that cause a caterpillar effect all along the road? This problem is here to stay and the council won't do anything useful to anybody. No change there then.”
by Georgeanddrag
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 6:31PM
“Stoke is poor =loads traffic standard”
by Georgeanddrag
Tuesday, March 05 2013, 6:30PM
“Standard”