Oakmont Drive A&E crash junction - council fix path instead

A resident of Oakmont Drive, off Newtown Road, in Worcester says county council contractors have sent out letters telling people about work to improve nearby Fly Alley later this month.

However, he says the main issue is for cars at the junction between unadopted Oakmont Drive and Newtown Road which remain unresolved and should be the priority.

Worcestershire County Council say Oakmont Drive is a private road and it is the developer’s responsibility to bring the road up to an adoptable standard before the council can maintain it.

WORK: But some say they want the main issues with the Oakmont Drive junction resolved as a priority. (Image: Supplied by a resident) We reported how residents say the situation at the junction had worsened since the new A&E for Worcestershire Royal Hospital opened opposite Oakmont Drive last October and there had even been crashes, including a head-on smash.

People living in the new Stableford development have described having to reverse onto Newtown Road when they meet cars coming the other way because of the junction parking bottleneck, exacerbated by the parking there. 

Others say fire engines and larger emergency vehicles would not be able to get down Oakmont Drive because of the parking - but because it is unadopted there are no double yellow lines so restrictions cannot be enforced. 

CRASH: A head-on crash in Oakmont Drive in Worcester last year in a photo taken by a resident (Image: Supplied by Colin Jones)

Now, a resident, who does not wish to be identified, is angry Worcestershire County Council (through its contractor, Ringway) is carrying out footpath construction works on Fly Alley at the end of Oakmont Drive instead of improving the junction. The work is due to start on December 9 and last 'approximately 20 days' according to a letter sent to residents in October.

One photo shows two lampposts placed right next to each other on the path where the work is due to take place.STRANGE: Two lampposts placed next to each other near Oakmont Drive as work is poised to begin on nearby Fly Alley (Image: Supplied) He said: "No one knows what for as the alley was fine as it is and does not require any work to it.  For some reason they are moving the lights a foot backwards  and replacing with others behind them. You could not make it up!  
"No one knows why as the path is fine as it is. I've taken photographs showing two lights in one place. 

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"Why are the council wasting funds on this and not doing anything on something which is really important on Oakmont Drive itself? Why have they not adopted this road?

"Oakmont Drive is opposite the hospital and is causing chaos every day with the road still not adopted and yellow lines are still not put on the end and corner of the road as they are on other nearby roads.  

"It will be only a matter of time before there is another accident with cars trying to get into/out of Oakmont Drive from Newtown Road and having to back out to let others go by in the opposite direction."

A spokesperson for Worcestershire County Council said: "The footway improvements undertaken in ‘Fly Alley’, include footway widening and resurfacing.

"These improvements are paid for by Towns Fund money, awarded to Worcester City Council by the Government. The works are creating an active travel link between Newtown Road and Worcestershire Royal Hospital.  

"As part of this project, the streetlights were relocated to accommodate the path widening and relaying the lighting cables.  The existing light columns, nearing the end of their operational life, were replaced as part of the overall scheme.

"Works to these lights were postponed recently due to severe weather which has left some of the older lighting columns still in place.  Works are expected to re-commence this week to remove the remaining redundant lighting columns.

"Oakmont Drive is a private road which is not currently maintained by the county council.  It is the developer’s responsibility to bring the road up to an adoptable standard before the county council can assume maintenance.”