PRESS RELEASE: Hawks Hill in Fetcham “a danger to cyclists”
PRESS RELEASE: Hawks Hill in Fetcham "a danger to cyclists"
Mole Valley Councillor Paul Kennedy has warned that the downhill stretch of the Guildford Road in Fetcham is a "danger to cyclists" after complaining to Surrey County Councilabout the state of the road, which achieves a gradient of 11% on the descent from the A246 junction down to Leatherhead.
Cllr Kennedy, who represents Fetcham West on Mole Valley District Council, has called on Surrey Highways to put up a warning sign if it won't fix the road.
He said:
"The downhill carriageway from Hawks Hill is a patchwork of botched utility and pothole repairs. The steep gradient, and the number of speeding motorists, means there is a serious risk of cyclists losing control, especially in wet or icy weather.
"Residents have been calling for action for years, but Conservative-run Surrey County Council just lets it get worse and worse.
"With the Government calling for more active travel during the pandemic, Liberal Democrat councillors
have been working with local residents to find safer routes to school, as well as for shoppers and commuters. This is surely one of the biggest improvements we can make in our area."
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Notes: photographs are of Cllr Kennedy at three different sections of the downhill stretch of Guildford Road.
The speed limit changes from 40mph to 30mph halfway down the hill, but because of the steep gradient, many drivers exceed the speed
limit on the lower stretch.
Contact: Cllr Nancy Goodacre (nancybookham@gmail.com, 07884 260677), Cllr Paul Kennedy (paulkennedy@mvld.org.uk, 07947430762)