Lower speed limits proposed for 'lethal' road in Enfield

A man was killed on Hadley Road in May when his car hit a tree

Part of Hadley Road could soon have a 40mph limit

Enfield Council is proposing new lower speed limits on a rural route in the north-west of the borough – where a man died in a car crash earlier this year.

Although it’s not yet been confirmed whether speed was a key factor causing the fatal collision in Hadley Road last May, with an inquest awaited, a consultation is currently underway on the proposal for new speed limits.

A 40mph limit is proposed for a stretch of Hadley Road starting from near the entrance to the former Hadley Well Pumping Station and running west until a point 65 metres beyond Parkside Farm Cottage.

A new 50mph limit would then start from this point and continue west along the road – which later merges into Ferny Hill – to a point 48 metres east of Cockfosters Road.

The consultation runs until this coming Wednesday (18^th). A public notice explaining the reason for the lower speed limits states: “The council proposes to make this order in the interests of avoiding danger to persons and improving road safety.

“Following a review of the collision record and road characteristics of Ferny Hill and Hadley Road, the proposed reduction in the speed limit from 60mph to 50mph is intended to encourage lower vehicle speeds and reduce the risk and severity of collisions.”

Last month, the Dispatch met pensioner Hugh Small who lives in Hadley Road and – as well as raising his concern around the state of the pavements in the area – has complained that some drivers exceed 100mph.

However, he points out that the section of Hadley Road running west from The Ridgeway, up until the former pumping station, already has a mandatory 30mph limit because it is part of a residential area – and yet drivers frequently ignore it.

Hugh is demanding the council utilise traffic calming measures to force drivers to slow down – something he points out was supposed to have happened using Section 106 money from the development which converted the pumping station into residential flats over a decade ago.

He told the Dispatch: “This road is lethal – it is supposed to be 30mph but no-one knows it. It looks like a country road. One resident up here has filmed people doing 100mph.

“They need to bring in double white lines to stop overtaking, and dragon’s teeth. Road markings are the simplest and cheapest thing to do.”

Anyone wishing to respond to the speed limits consultation should email [email protected] by Wednesday.

Local news needs your support

We are proud that we were at the forefront of reporting on the recent local elections. We can’t do this without the support of our readers.

Independent news outlets like ours – reporting for the community without rich backers – are under threat of closure, turning British towns into news deserts.

If our coverage has helped you understand our community a little bit better, please consider supporting us with a monthly, yearly or one-off donation.

ACT NOW!

Monthly direct debit

Annual direct debit

£5 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else, £10 per month supporters get a digital copy of each month’s paper before anyone else and a print copy posted to them each month. £50 annual supporters get a digital copy of each month's paper before anyone else.