As you will all be well aware the traffic around 5.00pm on Cornfield Way is now having an unacceptable impact on Wheatfield Way and the surrounding access roads. Congestion is at an all time high with it regularly taking up to 25 minutes simply to leave the business estate. 

With the road only wide enough for one line of traffic delays are caused by vehicles queuing to cross the busy A47 traffic in order to turn right.  This results in vehicles driving up the pavement to reach the exit to turn left and struggling to exit safely as the visibility past the right turners is so poor (and vice versa). There have been many near misses caused by blind spots, merging traffic, parked HGV vehicles on the side roads and even vehicles using the wrong side of Cornfield Way to pass the stand still traffic. With the amount of commercial vehicles accumulating on the estate now, parking and navigating the traffic has already resulted in damage to vehicles.

The situation is now a daily point of conversation and concern with businesses having to contemplate staggered finishes due to the elongated delays, associated fuel costs and stresses impacting their employees and customers.

On raising this with the council we have been advised that this was not a concern to them as it was only a problem at busy times (obviously) and no accidents have been reported as yet.  

With financial implications of obvious concern to the council, a left only junction at the top of Wheatfield Way would offer a relatively low cost solution which should significantly improve the flow and safety of traffic into and out of the estate. This method of traffic control was actually applied as a temporary measure when Cloverfield was closed to build the left only junction a couple of years back. At that point the usual estate traffic PLUS all Morrison's traffic was filtered via Cornfield, and when temporary lights failed to manage the congestion a second Left only junction was introduced and the congestion resolved.

We have all experienced the disproportionate tail backs caused by vehicles queuing to join the A47. It is important the council are made aware how many people (employees & customers) are effected by this congestion, and that IT IS a worthy cause for their attention.

Nicola & I called just a few businesses on the estate to ask if it is a problem for them, and had a resounding YES as a response!

PLEASE SIGN OUR PETITION & ENSURE ANYONE ELSE EFFECTED IS MADE AWARE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO VOICE THEIR CONCERNS!

Nicola & Jo, Croner

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