THERE are fears roads in Cam are so dangerous a child could be killed on their way to school after “a dog was hit on the pavement and died”.

Residents say they are extremely worried about road safety issues that have resulted from the opening up of new roads in the village.

They say the problems have arisen after the opening of Lister Road from Drake Lane to connect through traffic to Kingshill Lane/Church Road and Everlands.

Cam Community Action Group (CCAG) say this has happened despite planning permissions for St Modwen Homes requiring traffic management not just “calming measures” to be in place before the road was opened.

Jo Kendall, of CCAG, said: “Cam has been left with dangerous roads where residents regularly get hit by car or van wing mirrors and a dog has already been killed even though it was on a lead and on the pavement.

“What’s next? A child killed on their way to school? Is this what it’s going to take for proper consultation and action to be taken?

“Meantime, this adds continued significant risk to those using the roads that are impacted, especially school children walking to and from Hopton, Everlands and Rednock.

“St Modwen has said they ‘hope’ to start the work by the end 2024 so a minimum of another six months at increased risk and we know all these works usually take even longer. This is a complete disregard for safety and unacceptable to the tax paying public.

“There is a further issue here. The original traffic management agreements have been negotiated away by St Modwen Homes and Highways to now become ‘calming’ measures that are totally inadequate.

“A holistic view through the affected roads and, importantly, the bottleneck that has now been created in Chapel Street, and on through Cam which any proper consultation, especially with Cam Parish Council, would have demonstrated immediately.

“It is vital that Highways properly take the concerns of Cam Parish Council and residents into account and crucially listen to the ideas that may improve these inadequate proposals.”

Gloucestershire County Council (GCC) said they have been working with the developer to ensure they deliver the infrastructure which was deemed necessary when the development was granted planning consent.

They said planning conditions required that measures to reduce traffic speeds on Everland and Hopton Road should be implemented in full prior to the opening of the spine road linking Long Street to Lister Road.

“We are aware that the spine road has been opened in the absence of these measures, however this is a planning enforcement issue which falls under the remit of Stroud District Council as Planning Authority to enforce,” a County Council officer said in response to the concerns raised by Cam Community Action Group.

“Notwithstanding this, GCC have been in regular dialogue with St Modwens reiterating the need for these works, and we have been provided with a set of plans showing a number of measures along Everlands and Hopton Road.

“These measures include speed cushions to reduce vehicle speeds, as well as a number of build outs, which will reduce vehicular speeds and make this a less attractive route for vehicles to use.”

They said the County Council will be providing a formal consultation response to a planning application to discharge conditions in the near future after undertaking the relevant technical and safety checks.

“Turning to the concerns that you have raised in respect of the bottleneck at Chapel Street, no mitigation measures were identified during our planning consultation responses for Chapel Street. As such no additional mitigation is proposed along these roads.

“The developer has an obligation to deliver the works consented within their planning approval, and so we cannot now request additional works/mitigation at this stage.

“Notwithstanding that, it would appear the traffic calming proposals to Everlands and Hopton Road, the intention of which is to deter through traffic, would have been devised to allay concerns along Chapel Street and Station Road.

“Please be assured that GCC, as Highway Authority, are working proactively with the Developer to deliver the required works, and that the consultation period of the current planning application process allows interested parties to have their say on the proposals.”

St Modwen has been approached for comment.