Moreton Hall residents pleased as zebra crossings in Symonds Road, Bury St Edmunds, repainted

Zebra crossings on the Moreton Hall estate in Bury St Edmunds have been repainted after residents were almost hit by vehicles which failed to stop.

Earlier this month, Olive Quinn, 29, contacted police after a near miss on the crossing next to the Christ Church, in Symonds Road.

Olive, who lives on the estate, said if she had her three-year-old son walking with her he would have been hit.

Ahead of the repair work, Olive said that paint had worn away, making it hard to spot for drivers who didn’t frequently use the road.

Andy McGowan, vice chair of the Moreton Hall Residents’ Association (MHRA), said the work, which was carried out last week, was ‘positive and timely’.

The crossing had been reported to Suffolk Highways last year and then in January, with Mr McGowan, calling the repairs ‘long overdue’.

Mr McGowan said: “I am really pleased to see that the crossings have now been repainted, this is already providing reassurance to residents who were concerned about being able to safely cross there.”

Traffic concerns and road maintenance issues have been highlighted as top priorities for residents in a Big Listen survey, which is aimed at those living on the Moreton Hall estate and Eastgate ward.

“I hope this will be the start of further work to ensure our roads are maintained for the safety and benefit of all,” added Mr McGowan.

“I think it’s a wider issue about ensuring that routes are safe for people to be using.”

Moreton Hall estate resident Andy Ellis, a retired driving instructor and magistrate, said he was happy to see action had been taken to repaint the zebra crossings.

Thanking SuffolkNews for highlighting the issue, Mr Ellis said: “Both of these zebra crossings are very well used, especially by children attending Sebert Wood School.

“There should now be no excuse for road users not giving priority to those wishing to cross the road.”

Mr Ellis, who is ‘passionate about road safety’, is working with the MHRA to set up a Community Speedwatch scheme for the neighbourhood.

“Excess speed is frequently highlighted as an area of great concern by local residents on many of the estate’s roads, even more so as the number of new homes increases,” said Mr Ellis.

He added: “This not not at all about trying to be police on the cheap or do-gooders but, instead, about being responsible community-spirited residents.”

The speedwatch scheme will be discussed at next month’s MHRA meeting.

It will be run by volunteers who will be trained by Suffolk Police.

A spokeswoman for Suffolk Police said it received a report of the near-miss on Thursday, March 6.

She said officers then spoke to the pedestrian involved.

Suffolk Highways categorised the repair work on two crossings in Symonds Road as urgent.

Anyone who would like to volunteer for the speedwatch group should email: bsecommunityspeedwatch@btinternet.com.

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