Bus manager joining fight to end Shottery traffic chaos

A BUS chief has condemned the traffic chaos in North Shottery as “a disaster”.

Tom Horbury, driver training and compliance manager for Ridley’s Coaches, says the road through the village drivers must navigate to and from the grammar school is “stressful”.

The Herald reported last week how residents fear lives could be in danger unless something is done about streams of traffic from both directions. Buses, cars and four-wheel drives try to squeeze past each other along the narrow road, which includes the blind corner of Shottery and Tavern Lane.

Parked cars on both sides add to the chaos, with oncoming cars often mounting the pavement.

Mr Horbury says Ridley’s want to see a one-way system put in place from the Bell all the way to the end of Shottery Road.

And he puts the blame squarely on Warwickshire County Council for failing to act.

He said: “It’s a disaster. We’ve been fighting for 16 years to have the road turned into a one-way system, but the council won’t play ball.

“At quarter-to-four, when it’s school pick-up time and cars are parked everywhere, it’s not the best place to be as a bus driver.”

More than 70 residents have formed the North Shottery Residents’ Association (NSRA) to pressure officials into tackling the problem.

Last week Peter Smart, who lives in Hathaway Lane, told how walking his four-year-old daughter Eva to Holy Trinity School feels “dangerous” at times.

He described how confusion over right of way meant cars pushed through without waiting and mounted the pavement.

Other residents complained of feeling trapped in their homes, because of the traffic.

The NSRA is calling for an independent report to be commissioned, and suggests Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) paid by developers such as Bloor Homes for the Shottery development should foot the bill.

They also want to see schools in the area, particularly the girls’ grammar, persuading families and bus companies to drop pupils within walking distance.

Mr Horbury said: “We agree with residents that something needs to change. We don’t want to fight against them, we want to fight with them, because for us all the ultimate goal is to make everything safer.

“If Warwickshire County Council put in a one-way system, that would alleviate all the problems.”

He added: “That's one of the most stressful roads – I find it easier to drive in central London than I do to drive down that road.

“Just look at the way cars are parked outside the grammar school – it’s a danger. We don’t have a choice of how we get through, that’s the safest way for us to go.

“But at Ridley’s we have our own unofficial one-way system, where all of our coaches go in past The Bell, pick up or drop off at the school, come out and then head down Shottery Road to try and make it as safe as we can for everybody.”

Warwickshire County Council was invited to respond to Mr Horbury’s comments.

However, in a statement a spokesperson said: "Officers are in discussions regarding the timing of the Wildmoor Roundabout scheme improvement works."

This, we assume, refers to when the new road being built as part of an extenion to Shottery will be open. It will link Alcester Road and Evesham Road, potentially taking some traffic away from the centre of Shottery.