Speed signs could put brakes on drivers using the B4084

Whittington parish councillors are looking into potential funding for signs to address concerns over speeding on the B4084 Pershore Road.

Members discussed the issue during a parish council meeting.

Parish clerk Dave Hunter-Miller said he had got a quote of £3,000 for a new solar-powered VAS (vehicle activated sign).

Council chairman Steve Burrows said that seemed “like an awful lot of money” unless they could get additional funding to pay for it.

He suggested that West Mercia’s Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC), John Campion, could be approached with a request for extra cash.

Mr Burrows said he was unsure whether the road was a special case, adding he was “not convinced” about the effectiveness of the signs.

Parish council vice-chairman Steve Brooker said a previous sign, which no longer worked, had been acquired following several complaints from local residents and a number of accidents.

He added: “My thoughts are if we could get the PCC to give some money then maybe we could go for it.”

He went on: “If we get the money off the PCC let’s go for it.

“It’s a lot of money for a parish council to come up with.”

Parish councillor Susan MacLeod said the B4084 was different to some of the other roads in the parish, explaining that some residents were emerging on to it from their drives.

She said: “You have got few other roads where you’re coming straight out on to a fast road like that. That’s what the concern is.

“You have got possibility of quite a serious accident.”

She added that she had had personal experience of the difficulty, having visited someone there.

Mr Hunter-Miller said a possible funding source that could be explored was the Safer Roads Fund.

That was only for applications over £5,000 so the parish council could apply for two signs.

Another possibility was approaching the Policing and Local Community Ambassadors Fund (LPCAF).

Mr Burrows said: “Money is certainly the main issue here.

“I suggest we have a speculative bid on these two schemes.

“We will have to have another discussion about the effectiveness against the cost.”