Councillors will continue to push for improvements at a busy road junction.
Sandy Town Council discussed the reserved matters application for a development off New Road in Sandy at their meeting on Monday (April 15).
Stephen Allen, who has been campaigning for road improvements to improve safety along New Road, which will also serve the new Tesco store, spoke at the meeting.
He said that the town councillors have been broadly supportive of his suggestions for New Road in the past and asked them to write to the Highways Agency and stress the need for improvements.
Councillor Nigel Aldis said: “We do have concerns about the junction of New Road with the A1. The council has repeatedly approached the Highways Agency about the need to have a roundabout at that junction.
“They’ve said it will slow traffic down and lead to more rear end shunts. I think we need to keep trying.
“If we keep reminding them about it maybe it will come higher up the list. Luckily we haven’t had any major accidents there resulting in fatalities. Maybe that’s the reason. Possibly time will show that this junction is not as safe as the Highways Agency is saying it is.”
Councillor Martin Pettitt added that the need for a footpath along New Road has been a high priority for councillors for some time.
Councillor Michael Scott said: “Ever since the Tesco development was approved and with the station getting busier then the safety of people walking by New Road must become a priority.
“When Tesco is built people will come; children in the summer holidays walking along New Road and ladies with prams. This is going to happen and unless we keep severe pressure on Central Beds Council then we are remiss.”
Councillors agreed to write to Central Beds Council again about the safety requirements on New Road, particularly stressing the increasing need for a footpath.
Discussing the application as a whole, they stressed the need for adequate affordable housing on the site.