Safety fears for Brighouse children and pensioners after crossing island removed from busy road

Fears there is an “accident waiting to happen” have been raised over the removal of a crossing island from a busy Brighouse road.
Gavin Roberts and his son Charlie.Gavin Roberts and his son Charlie.
Gavin Roberts and his son Charlie.

The road safety measure was taken away from Bramston Street near the junction with Thornhill Road as part of work on the Railway Bridge View development.

Concerned parent Gavin Roberts is so worried about the dangers people now face trying to cross the road, he has advised his eldest son to take a longer route to school.

“It just seems really irresponsible,” said Mr Roberts.

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“It’s an accident waiting to happen. Someone is going to get hurt.”

His 11-year-old Charlie has just started at Rastrick High School and is walking to and from school on his own for the first time.

He and his dad had practised the route before the crossing was removed, but have now had to find a way that takes an extra 15 minutes.

Manager at nearby Bridge End House Nursery, Karena Skinner, shared Mr Roberts’s concerns.

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“It’s not been thought through,” she said. “We have parents who walk to nursery and take public transport who are having to cross that road with toddlers.”

She said the nursery walks children to and from school but have been having to take a longer route now that the crossing island is not there.

“We’re hoping it’s a temporary measure,” she said,

“It’s not just children. There are lots of elderly people who are going to struggle to cross two lanes of busy traffic. It’s a very,very busy road, especially during commuter hours.”

Calderdale Council says there are plans to replace the crossing island, understood to have been taken away around a month ago.

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The council’s Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Strategy, Jane Scullion, said: “The crossing island on Bramston Street near the junction with Thornhill Road has been removed as part of the works associated with the Railway Bridge View development.

“The island is being replaced by the developers but will be positioned slightly closer to Brighouse to facilitate a new loading bay for the building.”

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