'Dangerous' rat run to close for council trial

16 hours ago

Henry Godfrey-EvansEssex

Bob Osborn welcomed the news and said the road is "dangerous"

Maria Osborn A man standing next to a road with his arms folded. He has grey hair and is wearing a blue and grey striped T-shirt. There are houses in the background and a car driving along the road. — Bob Osborn welcomed the news and said the road is "dangerous"

A road in west Essex is to close as part of a trial to tackle "rat running".

Residents have spent years complaining that Old Road was being used as a shortcut to avoid the main roads through Old Harlow. A council survey recorded more than 300 cars a day using the road.

Essex County Council tried other traffic calming measures before resorting to the trial, but said it will invite the public to provide feedback for the first six months.

The closure between Hart Road and The Hoo junctions will come into effect on 19 October and run for a maximum of 18 months until spring 2028.

Local authorities can use an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order before bringing in permanent measures.

'Concerns for school children'

The north side of Old Road from the Cambridge Road A1184 turning

Google A Google maps view of a road with a 30 mph sign with lots of cars parked up in the distance — The north side of Old Road from the Cambridge Road A1184 turning

Bob Osborn has lived on the road for more than eight years and said the trial is "great news".

He said: "Originally it was very quiet. Anyone coming down here you'd think 'well they're lost or they're a local', but now it's getting very busy indeed."

Osborn said he is concerned for children during pick up and drop off times at the nearby primary school.

He added: "We've had a couple of crashes on the corner here, one was an overturned car probably three years ago, so yes, it's getting dodgy."

However an 89-year-old resident who has lived on the adjoining road for more than seventy years said he thinks the trial will be a "disaster" for locals and does not believe the road is "that congested".

He said: "If you're going to stop the residents of Old Harlow going down Old Road to go to, say, Bishops Stortford or Sawbridgeworth, it's going to just ruin the advantages of Old Harlow."

A view of Old Road from the south via A1025 Gilden Way

Mark Webster, cabinet member for highways and infrastructure at the council, said the action follows "years" of complaints from residents and councils, but they invite viewpoints from both sides.

He said he hopes the trial will make the road a "quieter, safer and more pleasant place" for residents.