‘Does a college kid have to die first?’: Calls for more safety measures on road due to speeding and crashes

A Lynn resident has been left questioning if enough is being done to enforce a 20mph speed limit that runs through a busy town road.After another accident along Tennyson Avenue a couple of weeks ago, Paul Powers has said that reckless driving and speeding must be stopped.Mr Powers is not alone in his concerns, as Gaywood South Councillor Rob Colwell has been working on road safety projects in the area.

Mr Powers said: “As the speeding on Tennyson Avenue continues unabated and continues to put people’s lives in danger, we must ask tough questions – are the council and the police doing enough?”He is calling for the 20mph speed limit that runs along the road near the College of West Anglia to be enforced – and requested a safety camera be installed. He added: “There is a college, a local school around the corner, a children’s home across the road and elderly residents all up and down the street.“What I hear and see each day and night are motorbikes and cars speeding and doing dangerous overtaking.”Mr Powers has said that he has repeatedly reported his concerns to both Norfolk Police and Norfolk County Council.A spokesperson from Norfolk Police said: “Officers in Lynn are continually working to keep the roads in and around the town safe. This includes speed enforcement in hot-spot areas.“If residents have concerns about speeding in specific areas they are welcome to speak to their local beat managers at the next SNAP (Safer Neighbourhood Action Plan) meeting or by contacting them through our website. A number of collisions have been reported along Tennyson Avenue, with the most recent resulting in a man being taken to hospital after a crash between a car and a motorcycle.

Mr Powers added: “It’s one every few weeks at this rate. When will they enforce the 20mph limit? Does a college kid have to die first?”Liberal Democrat councillor Rob Colwell has expressed his concerns about speeding along both Tennyson Avenue and the A148 Gaywood Road. He has been working on a speed reduction and safe-crossing report and has been lobbying to come up with a solution on how the road from Tennyson Road to Tennyson Avenue can become safer.

Considerations made to mitigate speed and volume of traffic stated in the Norfolk County Council report included adding another zebra crossing, adding refuge points, adding a signalised crossing or reducing Tennyson Road’s speed limit to 20mph.Cllr Colwell said: “Speeding from The Walks all the way to King Edward VII has been an issue high on my agenda since before I was elected. “A student was knocked outside the school in July 2021 and I felt I wanted to try and prevent future incidents.”

He added: “Even though the area now has 20mph signs which I pushed for and paid for from my Local Member Fund, it feels as though many choose to ignore.“This is now an issue of enforcement, especially on Tennyson Avenue. I will raise this at the next SNAP meeting with Norfolk Police who are currently focusing on Reffley. “I have been calling for the 20mph area to be extended all the way to the walks and a new zebra crossing installed to allow safe passage into the park, students and for football fans. A report I had commissioned by Norfolk County Council has recommended the work be done, but finding the funds to do this has been difficult. “I will continue to lobby both Norfolk and West Norfolk councils to implement and hope that newly announced central government Town Deal funds will help the community with this vital public safety addition needed. I believe ‘Twenty Is Plenty’.”Cllr Joshua Lowe, a borough councillor for Gaywood Chase said he also shares Mr Powers’ concerns.Cllr Lowe said: “I share the resident’s concern regarding the ongoing speeding issues on Tennyson Avenue, and am keen to work closely with relevant authorities and residents to address this issue.”