Residents Demonstrate Against Loss of Footbridge

Concerns over increased risk at crossing point near Perryn Road

Residents opposed to the planned removal of the A40 footbridge near Perryn Road staged a demonstration this week.

The plan is to replace the bridge with a Pelican crossing enabling better access for the disabled. Campaigners argue that a similar scheme further up the A40 towards White City has seen three deaths at the location since its implementation in 2003.

The footbridge has been damaged by earlier accidents and is too low for potential traffic and not wide enough for the current road widening scheme. New footbridges have to comply with current regulations which require access by disabled people using wheeled transport. This involves long ramps or lifts, which are expensive.

A spokesperson for the Goldsmiths Residents' Association said of the plan, "Many of the local residents feel that this is a dangerous substitute, especially for the children who regularly use the footbridge to and from John Perryn School."

The removal of the footbridge is part of a larger project to replace the two A40 Western Avenue bridges over the busy railway lines at Wales Farm Road and Perryn Road.

August 3, 2007