A FURIOUS war of words over the traffic chaos on Station Road has broken out following an intervention from Pershore’s MP Harriett Baldwin.
The row over the ‘unnecessary’ delays along the busy road broke out on Monday when Mrs Baldwin called on Persimmon Homes to remove the temporary traffic lights from Station Road and install permanent lights ‘without delay.’
Persimmon hit back at her comments and pointed the finger at Worcestershire County Council for the delays who in turn blamed the developers.
The West Worcestershire MP met with Jon Fraser from the county council’s highways team at the site to discuss the traffic misery at the site following a series of complaints from town residents.
Drivers have been faced with delays along Station Road ever since builders moved on site to build the new housing estate.
As a result, disgruntled residents handed a petition to highways chiefs at Worcestershire County Council urging them to build a roundabout instead of traffic lights but their calls were rejected.
“As a regular user of this road, I am well aware of the serious delays that can occur and entirely sympathise with local people who are frustrated by this problem,” Mrs Baldwin said.
“Having discussed the matter at length with Worcestershire County Council, and received other representations, I believe the best and quickest option is to demand Persimmon build the junction that they promised, without delay.
“With funding now coming on stream to deliver the Pershore link road, I know that the longer term solution is on the way, but Persimmon must simply get on with the work to get a fit-for-purpose junction working on Station Road.”
As part of the planning permission, Persimmon Homes agreed to pay for a permanent junction on Station Road.
Furious Persimmon Homes bosses hit back at her comments and blamed Worcestershire Highways chiefs for the delays in installing the permanent traffic lights.
Andy Peters, managing director for Persimmon Homes South Midlands, said: “We’re very concerned that MP Harriet Baldwin has misunderstood the current situation.
“Persimmon have been vigorously pursuing Worcestershire County Highways for nearly two years and we await their technical approval to allow us to construct the permanent junction.
“We’re in the business of selling houses and our priority is to complete the works required to ultimately present our development with completed road improvements whilst keeping the inconvenience to locals as minimal as possible.
“We would be more than happy to meet with Mrs Baldwin and Worcestershire County Highways to find a way forward.”
In response, Jon Fraser, from Worcestershire Highways, said: “There is now an agreed general arrangement in place for the traffic light junction proposed by Persimmon.
“Highways approval of this arrangement is subject to the submission of final technical details that we are due to receive from Persimmon imminently, and subject to this the delivery programme can be finalised.”
