A man living on a ‘nightmare junction’ in Adlington has called for action from Lancashire County Council after multiple cars have crashed into his property causing damage worth hundreds of pounds. Andy Chadwick’s property on Westhoughton Street on the Rawlinson junction has been the site of multiple car accidents including one collision that went through the gas main at the side of the property. Andy has contacted the Parish Council for help with reaching the Lancashire County Council on making the Rawlinson junction safer, including the suggestion of traffic lights or a barrier, both of which were later rejected by the Lancashire County Council.
Andy said: “The cars are flying along here, there’s been a crash nearly every couple of weeks. “The site could do with speed cameras to help slow down the traffic and give people a chance to leave the junction. “There’s lots of people walking and walking their dogs down this route, they don’t have a good chance to get across the junction in time as cars are flying at them” “The Lancashire County Council couldn’t put up traffic lights without taking down an old telephone pole next to the junction and they are unable to as they remain unclear about who owns this pole.
” Andy with the damage to his house. (Image: NQ) Andy states that LCC have also rejected the idea to install restraint barriers leading onto the junction. In the six months, Andy has experienced two collisions directly involving his property and leaving hundreds of pounds worth of damage to the wall and window of his house.
The Parish Council, which has bought the issue to the attention of the authorities, stated in e-mails to Andy that: “The Parish Council has been expressing its concerns to the Police, the Crime Commissioner and Highway’s authority over the last 9 months about the road traffic accidents at this junction to try to get action/improvement. “The Parish Council has been advised that it is only when a person is actually hurt that the accident is recorded in the police/highway’s authority database and that the records are kept for 5 years.” The Parish Council also stated in emails that recent planning permission for industrial units just off Rawlinson junction risk “making the junction even more dangerous”.
(Image: NQ) In May, Lancashire County Council disclosed plans to put a proposed safety scheme at the junction of Rawlinson Lane and Westhoughton Road. However, since the disclosure, there was a second collision involving Andy’s property following a ‘domino effect’ between three vehicles. Parish Councillor, Kim Snape said: "This junction has been an issue for the community long before I became a council member.
"Lancashire Council have never took it as seriously as they should do and most people acknowledge if the speed was reduced at the junction there would be a lot less accidents. "It's just become busier and busier. Cars coming out of the junction don't have a good view of the road due to the telephone poles obstructing people's views.
" Using CCTV footage from his home, Andy notes that the majority of collisions are occurring due to impatient drivers who are taking risks to get across the junction quickly. Other drivers are hesitant to cross the junction due to confusion about who has right of way and have their vision obstructed by the telephone poles. According to Kim, the Road Safety Police are unable to move the poles themselves, as they belong to a third-party, and they can only chase up for their removal.
Andy said: “The work on the house needs to be done imminently, my insurance has already risen from £350 to £550 and I’m worried how far this will go as the next payment could push it over £700. “I’m stuck now with a home with a mortgage on it that has become worthless.” “How seriously does a person have to be injured for this to be taken seriously? Would the prevention of accidents not be a more humane response?”.
