Action Group launched in wake of fatal A34 crash
Group set up by East Ilsley residents will hold first meeting tonight
Following last week’s fatal crash on the A34 an East Ilsley resident has launched a community action group aimed at improving the safety at the “dangerous” stretch of road.
Alisdair Cunningham set up the group A34 Action Group last week in response to Wednesday night’s crash which saw a mother and three children killed near East Ilsley.
The group which saw 500 members sign up in the first few days will host a public meeting tonight [Wednesday] at West Ilsley’s Village Hall at 8pm with all welcome to air their concerns about the road.
Speaking ahead of the meeting he said that he had launched the community group to “bring together members of the community who live near the A34 and use it on a regular basis.”
He told Newbury Weekly News: “It’s to promote the concerns of the local people, and work positively and constructively at finding solutions to the issues of safety which are becoming increasingly apparent with the increased frequency of accidents on the A34.
“The ultimate aim is to increase the safety of all road users on that road and help prevent future accidents like the devastating accident last week.
“I set up the group for two reasons. Firstly, I am concerned with safety of the road.
“I have only lived here for two years but feel uncomfortable when I drive on that road, and it plays on the back of my mind when my wife travels to work in Oxford or anywhere on the A34 with my son in the car.
“We live in East Ilsley and my commute to work is five minutes yet that stretch of the A34 between East Ilsley and Chilton is a hot spot for accidents, especially Gore Hill.
“Secondly, I felt that while a lot of people in the community feel the same way, and have been talking a lot about their concerns, there needed to be a single focused method to handle these concerns.”
Meanwhile, a petition launched in June following a separate fatal crash has seen a surge in support since the latest fatality.
The petition, launched by Meg Williamson and calling on a reduced speed limit has reached nearly 2,000 signatures.
It can be accessed by visiting: https://www.change.org/p/oxford-city-council-save-lives-a34-50mph-with-speed-cameras
For the full story and full coverage of last week’s tragic crash and the future of the A34 pick up a copy of this week’s Newbury Weekly News on sale tomorrow.
