Walking from Quarndon to the A6 to catch a bus to Derby is pretty treacherous.
All the way down Burley Lane, for ¾ of a mile, there are no pavements. Stretches of the road have cars hurtling down at the national speed limit.
Residents have told me how concerned they are about reckless driving and pedestrian safety, at my coffee morning last year and when I joined the local Speedwatch team. Through this, I have seen first-hand that the village’s roads are often not treated with respect by drivers.
While Derbyshire County Council has resisted calls for pavements due to the cost, there is an opportunity to use Allestree Park as an alternative option.
If walking routes were formalised and access to Allestree Park improved from the Quarndon side, pedestrians would be better able to walk alongside the road through the park without being at risk from speeding traffic.
The park is Derby City Council’s responsibility, and I have been working with them to see if there is anything we can do to take this issue forward. The Labour government’s new road safety strategy includes an increase of £24 billion in our road infrastructure, including over £600 million for walking and cycling infrastructure.
I believe there is an opportunity here to use some of this money to improve pedestrian safety in Quarndon, while also improving Allestree Park. I know local people support this idea, and I’ll keep pushing it forward.