Letter: Roundabout in Stoke is ‘Dreadfully Dangerous’

Published on: 26 Apr, 2019
Updated on: 26 Apr, 2019

The damaged roundabout near Stoke Church.

From: Donna Collinson

In response to: Watch Your Step in Guildford – SCC Says It Can’t Afford Proper Pavement Repairs

As well as the pavements residents are really worried about the dreadfully dangerous state of the roundabout next to the Stoke next Guildford war memorial. Its disrepair is caused by articulated lorries, too long to get around the roundabout without, destroying it by driving over it and causing either bricks, or now granite setts, to fly out onto the road.

Not only is this dangerous for other motorists, but as a pedestrian, it is a truly shocking and dangerous experience. Walking past on the Stockton Road side lorries having driven over the roundabout then mount the grass verge and for a moment seem to come straight at you. It has been in a dangerous state for almost ten years. I have a picture from 2014 before the granite makeover, which was a total waste of money failing to resolve the issue of the roundabout being too big.

At the busiest gateway to historic Guildford, and the setting for listed buildings including the war memorial this roundabout needs not only to be safe but stunning, something Guildford can be proud of.

The roundabout needs to made smaller so it is not driven over by large lorries yet still planted, if possible, to be attractive.

Residents are also concerned about present works to Stoke Cross Roads, which have had a change of priority on the Stoke Road to Ladymead lights. These corner lights used to change twice in every full cycle to the other lights, now they only change once which is causing traffic to build up regularly past the Josephs Road junction at peak periods it backs up almost as far as the York road lights.

Traffic queue on Stoke Road

This is making the pollution levels here even higher than previously monitored last autumn by Surrey University, who have said this is one of the two worst places in Guildford for air pollution.

During these works, the side slip road could have easily have been widened to allow more than just the two or three cars presently able to access the slip and thus ease traffic congestion and associated pollution. Why was this not done?

There are no plans to take down the pedestrian bridge last time I asked SCC so why does there need to be the new pedestrian crossing preventing the lights changing twice? Residents are finding it much harder to get into and out of Josephs Road as vehicles on Stoke Road do not leave sufficient room for access.

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