AFTER 15 years as a borough councillor pushing highways officers to make the roads safer for Middlewich’s pedestrians, Cllr Mike Parsons has ‘had it’.

Having been left disillusioned with his attempts to make a difference to the town’s roads, in April 2015 he wrote a 10-page report called Middlewich – A town not fit for pedestrian purpose.

But three years on, Cllr Parsons is still waiting for action – and he believes Cheshire East Council’s highways department is showing an ‘apparent disregard for the people of Middlewich’.

He said: “There is nothing in this report that highways, both as CEC and the previous county council, have not been aware of for years and years.

“Everything they do, if they do anything at all, it is never done completely and thoroughly.

“It’s not frustration, it’s anger – purely on the grounds that it has gone on for so long they are now denying the responsibilities they have under their duty of care in my opinion.

“It’s like having a teenage son who just won’t do what he’s told – time after time after time. So it’s not frustration now, it’s anger – I’ve had it.”

Despite raising the issues during visits to the town by highways officers and in his 2015 report, there is still no pedestrian crossing at Town Bridge between Leadsmithy Street and St Michael’s Way – where Cllr Parsons says blind or partially sighted residents cross regularly.

The narrow stretch of Lewin Street near the White Horse, where pedestrians have been clipped by wing mirrors in the past, remains the same as ever – while there is no safe crossing at the top of Lewin Street, near retirement homes and where schoolchildren regularly walk, and no improvements have been made to the Brooks Lane bridge.

Cllr Parsons also wants to see crossings put in place for residents who are ‘marooned’ on the island in the gyratory, and in St Michael’s Way, where pedestrians ‘either take their life in their hands by crossing the busy dual carriageway, or face the daunting environment of the anti-social underpass’.

He added: “Despite continuing pressure through all relevant protocols and procedures, highways continues to display what I feel can only be described as an apparent disregard for the people of Middlewich when it comes to road safety.

“I am sure that highways will be quick to point out the introduction of the interactive speed indicator devices in Croxton Lane and Warmingham Lane, but these should not be allowed to be used as an excuse for highways’ continuing failure to deliver the costlier and more necessary schemes vital to the meeting and sustaining of public safety standards within the town.”

A spokesman at CEC said: “The council is aware of the concerns relating to safety and accessibility issues in Middlewich town centre.

“Officers have met with Middlewich councillors to discuss how improvements can be achieved. Along with the findings of the recent Middlewich local transport plan consultation event, this has highlighted issues raised.”

CEC added that the Middlewich eastern bypass, which is due to go through the planning process this autumn, should reduce traffic flow at key points by 30 per cent’ – providing ‘an opportunity to revise the transport network in Middlewich’ and improve road safety.