Calls for action as more pedestrians are hit by lorry wing mirrors

Cllr Latham brought up the issue in Middlewich Town Council’s June meeting and fellow councillors agreed that the town council would ask Cheshire East Council for an engineer’s report on safety measures and on the possibility of narrowing the road and making a stop and go system. 

However, Cllr Latham again introduced the topic at the council meeting on Monday, July 20, saying there had been seven incidents involving pedestrians on Lewin Street since the June meeting. 

Cllr Latham said: “Since we last sat and talked about this item there have been three near misses and four actual clips with people on the pavement being hit by wing mirrors. 

“Last Thursday [July 16] there was a bad crash on the M6 and when we’re being told Lewin Street isn’t a relief road, it clearly was used as a relief road and I have video evidence of lorries mounting the pavement outside the White Horse pub. 

“I have not stood on this council to wait for other people to bide their time. I think it’s best to push Cheshire East Council as much as we can.” 

Cllr Latham also spoke to the Guardian after the meeting and added: “The original scope was that we contacted Cheshire East Council for an engineer’s report and they wrote back to the town council to say they would be looking into it but I’m fed up of them dragging their heels on safety measures. 

“It’s only a matter of time until there is a serious accident and I don’t want to have that playing on my conscience.”

Middlewich Town Council discussed the problem and agreed to go back to Cheshire East Council to pressure it for a response to the original request. 

Cllr David Williams said at the meeting: “Residents on Lewin Street are having a living nightmare and have done for years and years and we’re getting nothing but delay.

“I agree that we should tell Cheshire East Council that something needs to be done in the strongest possible way.”