Tributes to the Ringwood teenager, Jade Clark, who died in a collision on the A31 on 24 February 2013
Ringwood Town Council is continuing to seek an urgent review of safety measures along the A31 at Ringwood, in particular the speed limit.
The council has been campaigning for many years for improved safety measures on the A31 and met the Highways Agency for discussions in December 2012. Their response, received recently, “is disappointing,” said the mayor, Cllr Steve Rippon-Swaine, “and makes it clear that no immediate action is proposed to improve the safety of the road.”
Following a full council meeting on 27 February, shortly after the tragic accident on the A31 that took the life of Ringwood teenager, Jade Clark, the mayor has written to the Secretary of State for Transport and again to the Highways Agency requesting a meeting to seek a way forward.
Cllr Rippon-Swaine says in his letter, ‘The town council does not accept that there is nothing to support a reduction in speed limit; there are exceptional circumstances that should trigger an investigation despite the collision rate falling short of the required level.’
He said the council had collected a petition with over 1,000 signatures for improved safety measures and added, “The council continues to regularly receive representations from local people and road users calling for action. It also has the support from other local authorities in the area and of the local MP.” He also pointed out that the A31 at Ringwood is essential for local residents and that it is not possible to access many local destinations without travelling on it.
