Crossings
In addition to promoting a reduced speed limit to aid pedestrians, SWTC are aware of the difficulties for pedestrians crossing at busy junctions. We have submitted the below requests to the Essex Local Highways Panel (LHP) who will complete their validity checks between now and March 2022, if successful they will then be included in the 2022/23 budget of works.
Pedestrian Islands
- London Road
- Borough Lane
Zebra Crossings
- Thaxted Road/Victoria Avenue
- Ashdon Road/Chaters Hill
- Ross Close by the school
- Cromwell Road/Landscape View
Formalised Footpath
- Water Tower Place – Whilst not a crossing, a formal footpath is required for residents to walk over, at the moment they are crossing over the verge.
Cycling
In order to reduce emissions, we are trying to promote sustainable travel but are aware of the poor cycling provisions in Saffron Walden.
We have requested the following schemes to be validated and enforced via the LHP process. Again, we will find out in 2022 whether these schemes are feasible.
- London Road to Gibson Gardens
- Including opening London Rd/Gibson Gardens cut through to cyclists and cycle contraflow on Abbey Lane
- Town Centre contraflows – Market Row, King Street, Market Hill
- Audley End Rd to Abbey Lane (Widen Battle Ditches and Abbey Lane contraflow)
- Common Hill (to connect with north side of Common)
- Chaters Hill/Ashdon Rd (path along north side of Common)
- Museum St contraflow – Helps to mitigate Church St / Castle St one way system
- South Rd onto Fairycroft Rd contraflow – Helps to mitigate one-way systems
- Connect Saxon Way to Wenden Road
- Highfields/Sheds Lane
- Debden Rd/Mt Pleasant rd
- Borough Lane/ Mt Pleasant Rd
- Cromwell Rd/Winstanley
- Newport Rd
- Radwinter Road
- Little Walden Road
- Rowntree Way
- Thaxted Rd
Overgrown hedgerows, trees, weeding etc
Quite often hedgerows and trees prove a problem to pedestrians as they grow over onto the footpaths, meaning they are forced into the road.
Where hedges and trees grow on the edge of the highway or footpath to mark its boundary with a private property, it is the responsibility of the adjacent landowner/occupier to maintain them. This is per the 1980 Highways Act Section 154. Therefore, residents are politely reminded to manage their hedges and trees appropriately and that they are cut right back to their boundary line.
Any trees, verges, hedges or general gardening which is not owned privately or maintained by SWTC is reported to the district council via their Highway Ranger service. If you have an area of concern, please let us know so we can report it.