Plans to put rumble strips on roads in an upmarket Brentwood estate will not stop speeding “lunatics in Ford Focuses and Subarus”, a councillor says.
Planning permission has been granted for footpaths, signs and rumble strips to be built across roads in Hutton Mount – a private estate in Shenfield where houses regularly sell for several million pounds.
One is on the market for £4.98m and another for £4m.
Hutton Mount Limited, which is in charge of the management of the private estate, want to install traffic calming on the through roads on the estate and pavements to improve pedestrian safety.
Pedestrians, which include children walking to and from St Martin's School, often have to walk in the road because of a lack of footpaths.
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But residents have said the application does not take into account the level of speeding on the estate, particularly in Mount Avenue and Ridgeway.
The plan which was passed at a Brentwood Borough Council planning committee on Tuesday, June 30 could see footpaths, road markings, and rumble strips put in across roads.
These include Mount Avenue, Herington Grove, Greenway, Roundwood Avenue, Willow Close, Hillwood Close, Hillwood Grove, Spurgate, Heronway, Luppitt Close, and Bowhay.
Hutton Mount Association said it objects to the proposed painted speed restrictions on the roads – known as roundels – which they said would be “unsightly”.
They say that speed calming measures such as chicanes are needed in Mount Avenue and Ridgeway where most people have expressed their concern.
Ward councillor Russell Quirk said: “On Hutton Mount, which is supposed to be a 20mph zone, there are many people, predominantly not residents, that use the likes of Mount Avenue, Ridgeway and so on as a cut through and it is downright dangerous.
“And so whilst I kind of applaud the fact that we’ve got something here that in part seeks to try and mitigate that issue, I’m afraid these measures simply do not go far enough.
“I think as a stage one I think although it doesn’t go far enough it is okayish. But I do fail to see how a few roundels on the road are going to stop lunatics in Ford Focuses and Subarus doing 60mph down Ridgeway. It’s simply not going to happen. It’s inadequate.”
Hutton Mount Limited’s estate surveyor Martyn Pattie said: “Hutton Mount is unique as a metropolitan suburb of over 500 dwellings, but with countryside-type roads without footpaths.
"On winter nights, pedestrians either have to walk along muddy verges or in the road, which is dangerous.
“As part of the health and safety audit, our specialist road engineers identified safety issues, particularly pedestrians in the roads with installation of additional footpaths being recommended.”
He added the constructed additional footpaths of phase one will be improved with more footpaths and some traffic calming at busy junctions.
He added: “Whilst there have been some residents calling for further speed control, our engineers identified this as much less important than pedestrian separation. Speed control is a lesser risk, but will be a third phase of our development.”
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