PETITION – A5 TRAFFIC VOLUME
++ VOLUNTEERS NEEDED ++
The Parish Council is seeking 4 or 5 volunteers to assist with obtaining signatures from Hockliffe residents and business owners in support of a petition concerning the effects of the growing volume of A5 traffic through the village. The petition is to be presented to the House of Commons by Andrew Selous, our Member of Parliament, later in the year.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
It is our view that the volume of traffic, especially HGVs, now using the A5 trunk road through Hockliffe, endangers the health, safety and well being of residents and negatively impacts local businesses. With over 400 homes, Hockliffe uniquely has a trunk road passing through its centre. The A5/M1 link road, opened in 2017, provided relief for Dunstable but the impact on Hockliffe was underestimated, with more than 20,000 vehicles now passing daily through the village, a high percentage being HGVs. The 4-way traffic lights in the centre of the village cannot cope with this growing volume of traffic and this, all too frequently, causes congestion and lengthy tailbacks in all directions. The noise and fumes from long queues of stationary traffic affect the health and wellbeing of residents. Pedestrians and motorists often face dangers from frustrated drivers mounting pavements, racing to beat the traffic lights or performing U turns to avoid stationary or slow-moving traffic. M1 closures, due to accidents or maintenance, cause gridlock in the village and residents often suffer sleep disruption due to large numbers of HGVs passing through at night. We believe that the soon to be completed A6/M1 link road, and the growing number of new HGV logistics parks and homes in the area, can only worsen the situation for Hockliffe.
Presented by our MP, the petition will ask the House of Commons to urge the Government to examine the problem and find an acceptable solution.
The petition can only be signed by Hockliffe residents or business owners, and signatures must be accompanied by a Hockliffe address and postcode. Volunteers will have about 6 weeks to canvas their allocated street area.
CAN YOU HELP?
If you agree that a solution for the traffic volume needs to be found, are you able to help gather signatures within Hockliffe in support of this petition? If so, please contact the Clerk at Hockliffe Parish Council using the email or telephone shown below:
parish.clerk@hockliffepc.org.uk
Thank you in anticipation of your support.
