Cottingley residents fears for lives (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Cottingley residents fears for lives

6:30am Tuesday 30th June 2009 in

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Residents living next to a bridge fear lives will have to be lost before their pleas for traffic-calming measures are heard and acted on.

On Sunday about ten tons of stone was knocked out of century-old Cottingley Bridge and sent flying into Helen McGrellis’s garden.

Mrs McGrellis, who is eight months pregnant, said she heard a terrible screech and screaming as a car ploughed into the opposite side of the bridge then shot across Bradford Old Road into the wall just feet away from her home. Remarkably the driver got out uninjured.

Mrs McGrellis said: “Thank God no-one was on the bridge at that time or that we weren’t gardening below it or lives would have been lost.

“There must be at least ten tons of stone on top of my rose garden – it’s all ruined.

“Next time I’m gardening if I ever hear a screech of tyres I’m going to run for my life. There’s not even a wall there now to protect us.”

Now Mrs McGrellis is waiting for Bradford Council to clear the debris.

Six weeks ago another six-metre stretch of the bridge was smashed into another neighbour’s garden.

Resident Wendy Atkin said in the eight years she had lived there three cars had crashed through her post and walls.

“It’s got worse since the bypass opened,” she said. “Young men use this road to race on and it’s because they know the police aren’t watching here.

“I lie in bed and hear them racing round and screeching and I think this one’s not going to make it.”

Wendy and Ray Low said numerous fences of theirs had been demolished and cars towed out of their garden in the 22 years they had lived next to the bridge.

“It’s not a safe place. We need some road measures to make it safe. We need speed cameras, the limit lowered to 30mph, zig-zag warning signs, anything that will help – and we need to tell people how dangerous it is.

“Parents also need to tell their children, if they think they are out and about in cars. It’s potentially lethal.”

Residents have already contacted Shipley MP Philip Davies and Councillor John Pennington (Con, Bingley).

They will also be going to their local neighbourhood forum tonight to raise the matter with police.

Coun Pennington said: “We’ve already been talking about the bridge with the police and highways to see what can be done. Luckily this time no lives were lost but we could have been looking at a major incident and tragedy.”

e-mail: kathie.griffiths @telegraphandargus.co.uk