Backing for Marlborough Rugby Club’s speed fight (From This Is Wiltshire)

Backing for Marlborough Rugby Club’s speed fight

10:30am Thursday 4th November 2010 in News By Nigel Kerton

Marlborough Rugby Club is seeking support for its campaign for a speed limit on the road past its clubhouse on The Common, where a seven-year-old player was injured in a collision with a car.

Fortunately Todd Benney, from Wootton Rivers, made a full recovery and, following the accident last November, the club took immediate steps to stop parents parking along Frees Avenue on match and junior training days.

It also introduced marshalls to see the junior players across the road from the clubhouse to the pitches on opposite side of The Common.

Now the club is appealing for help in persuading Wiltshire Council to cut the 60mph speed limit to 30mph past the clubhouse and has written to MP Claire Perry and to town councillors calling on their support.

In a letter to Wiltshire Council, club chairman Ian Thomas said: “This issue has become all the more worrying for us since our junior section, which meets at the club on a Sunday, now numbers over 200 children between the ages of six and 16.

“This is a real issue for us to manage; having to ensure that large numbers of children cross a road with no zebra crossing or other traffic-calming measure with cars travelling at up to 60mph is a real, ongoing concern.”

The town council has agreed to support the club’s campaign although past efforts to get a 30mph limit in Frees Avenue have failed. Previous requests were turned down on the grounds that the road was outside the town’s built up area.

Former mayor Stewart Dobson: “We have tried for this many times in the past, in fact the old road safety committee used to ask for it on an annual basis. We now have all these youngsters playing there so we should give it another try.”

Claire Perry is also supporting the bid. She said: “I am urging the club to get as many parents as possible to write to Wiltshire Council and support this.”