Church objects due to one-way road impact

Central Beds Council has now stalled on the idea, pending further investigation, following objections by The Ouzel Valley Team Ministry, Leighton-Linslade Town Council and the majority of residents.

The church has said the Church Road/New Road route is the best available option for service vehicles and funeral corteges and that its closure would cause difficulties.

Father Bernard, of St Barnabas Church, claims: “Making New Road one way (no left turn from Church Road) would make the area even more isolated than it is already.

“It would be another inconvenience. At the moment, you can leave services via Waterloo Road, Victoria Road, Ship Road or via New Road (downwards or north to Soulbury).If New Road were one way the likelihood of damage to cars would increase; service vehicles tend to be larger.”

He explained removing the Soulbury Road route raised concerns over congestion following church services as traffic would be forced to use narrow roads.

Central Beds Council is also to introduce waiting restrictions in Church Road.

The resident permit holder/two-hour short stay spaces will move to the south side and double yellow lines are proposed on the north side to accommodate the contra-flow cycle lane and make it “safer for cyclists”.

Graham Quick, chairman of the Central Linslade Residents’ Association, said: “Reluctantly, we accept the Church Road changes providing the planned marked 
cycle lane and new parking areas are monitored.

“Our New Road objections largely concerned the impact the one-way system would have on the major traffic routes to the station and by-pass, causing congestion.”

The contraflow has previously caused concern as cyclists currently travel down the middle of the road in the opposite direction of cars.

Some cyclists claim the route is safe, while some residents have argued it is a ‘death trap’, with the road narrowing due to parked cars, and that it’s difficult to see oncoming cyclists at the ‘Hunt Hotel bend’.