RESIDENTS fear that a dangerous road junction for people travelling between Tenbury and Ludlow faces being turned into a death trap.

People Living in Woofferton are alleging that highways England is putting money before lives and going against its own rules.

Mick Blakemore, who lives close to the Salwey Arms, says that the junction between the A49 and A456 to Tenbury is already highly dangerous.

But the residents say that Highways England is set to make it a whole lot more dangerous by agreeing to a slip road that would serve a proposed new estate of 34 homes.

“We all think that existing junction is dangerous and what is proposed will make it a death trap,” said Mick Blakemore.

“Apparently it is too expensive to make it safe but at least they shouldn't make it even more dangerous, especially by adding a junction that does not even meet their own design standards.”

He claims that according to Highways England’s own rules because the proposed development is for more than 30 homes any new junction would normally require a widening of the A49.

“The applicant wanted to have a road coming out on to Wyson Lane. This was turned down by Highways England because of all the extra traffic it would generate joining the A49 at the sub-standard Salwey junction,” added Mick Blakemore.

“Then the applicant wanted to make part of Wyson Lane one-way but were discouraged by Herefordshire Traffic because of the unsuitability of our narrow lanes and the awkward turns.

“Finally, they came up with the current idea of having a new road.”

He says that people living in the area believe that Highways England are putting safety at risk by bending their own rules.

“It seems that as far as Highways England is concerned, the safety of road users comes a very distant second to the desire not to impede developers who hope to cash in on government targets for more housing,” added Mick Blakemore.

The junction between the A49 and A456 is the only way for people travelling between Tenbury and Ludlow to make the journey without having to go via Clee Hill using narrow country lanes.

Motorists turning right at the staggered cross roads have to negotiate two stream of fast moving traffic and residents say that adding a further turning within 200 metres of a complex junction would add further to the risk.

They say that the stretch of road is already an accident blackspot and was the scene of a serious accident earlier this month (January) when two cars were in collision.

Fortunately, no one was hurt but people living in the area believe it is only a matter of time before there is a fatality.

In December a stretch of the A49 in the vicinity was closed when a lorry shed its load causing the road to be closed for 10 hours with a diversion through Tenbury that caused major disruption in the town.

“The section of the A49 between Leominster and Ludlow is particularly vulnerable,” said Mick Blakemore.

He claims that the actions of Highways England is a disgrace.

“A very sad indictment indeed on an agency that is charged with the responsibility for protecting all of us on our roads,” he added.