AFTER a 12-year-old boy was hit by a car, residents have spoken out about the dangers of Cricklade Street since the traffic system was changed in Cirencester town centre.

The collision, in which a Suzuki hit the boy, took place at 5.15pm last Tuesday and he had to be taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital due to swelling on his leg, although fortunately there were no serious injuries.

Cricklade Street is supposed to be closed to vehicles from 9.30am to 4.30pm, Monday to Saturday, as part of the pedestrianisation of the town centre.

However, vehicles are using the street to get out of town because Castle Street has been made one-way heading towards Market Place, forcing drivers to follow a much longer route via Dollar Street as an alternative.

And police say there is nothing they can do to enforce the no entry rule in Cricklade Street because the councils haven’t yet updated the traffic regulations to ban drivers from 9.30am to 4.30pm.

Hayley Sadler told the Standard this has made Cricklade Street dangerous for pedestrians and puts lives at risk, and that she and her son were clipped by a van.

“They didn’t stop to see if me or my son were OK,” said Hayley, 27, who lives in the Waterloo. “They drove off like nothing happened.

“The problem is the one-way road in Castle Street.

“There is heavy traffic going down Cricklade Street now as people are using it as a way to get through rather than going the long way round.”

Clare Webb, 52, of Pheasant Way, said she has nearly been hit by a car in Cricklade Street a couple of times.

“Over the year, cars have been driving down the street a lot more and parking there before 4pm,” she said.

“The new town square is fabulous. But letting people drive into the town from three directions but only out via Dollar Street, where most don’t want to go, is asking for problems.”

Resident Stephen Morton, 66, counted the number of vehicles turning into Cricklade Street during a 30-minute period and said an estimated 500 cars illegally enter every day. 

“I have seen a couple of accidents and I have seen people having to jump out of the way,” he said.

“The change of road layout is forcing people to make sudden changes. People drive from Oxfam, see Castle Street is closed, panic and drive on. 

“Or one driver will turn into the street because another driver does it.

“I think the pedestrianisation of the Market Place is brilliant. But the council has created unexpected pressures on traffic flow.”

Kemble resident Barry Parsons said: "There really needs to be an advance notice, well before you reach the traffic lights, showing what direction options are available."

Since the collision, Cirencester’s county councillor Joe Harris has called for immediate action to prevent vehicles driving down Cricklade Street.

“It is awful to hear that a young boy was hit by a vehicle and thank goodness he wasn’t seriously hurt,” he said.

“We’ve seen a sharp increase in the number of vehicles driving down Cricklade Street since the Market Place redevelopment works – urgent action needs to be taken to stop a more serious accident happening.”

Thousands of pounds have been secured by the town council from developers such as St James’ Place and McCarthy & Stone to improve Cricklade Street, Cllr Harris said.

“It is time to look seriously at the options available for Cricklade Street, especially with the recent improvements to the Market Place,” he added.

“I’d like to hear from residents to see what they think should be done.”
A spokesman for Gloucestershire Police said officers’ hands were tied until the new rule was made official. 

“We are aware there is a lot of concern because more vehicles are using the road since Castle Street became one way.

"We have been patrolling Cricklade Street regularly and giving educational advice to drivers but the traffic regulation order the council is amending needs clarification before we can enforce it.”

A Cirencester Town Council spokesman said: “The traffic regulation order covering Cricklade Street is in need of updating and the town council is committed to working together with the county council and other partners to achieve this as soon as possible.”

Gloucestershire County Council added: “The county council doesn’t have the power to prevent motorists using Cricklade Street illegally.

“We are happy to work with the town council and police, as well as businesses, to monitor this situation and find a solution.”