Concerns raised about the safety of a road joining Moorlands villages
'By doing this we are flagging up concerns over the area for them to identify the risks and find a solution'
The safety of a road which joins two Staffordshire Moorlands villages has been highlighted by a parish council.
The Waterfall Lane, which joins Waterhouses and Waterfall in Stoke-On-Trent, has been the subject of complaints for some time as there is no pavement on the hill towards Waterfall.
The issue was raised at the last meeting of Waterhouses Parish Council along with the safety of walkers along the Manifold Track area in Waterhouses.
Councillor Andrew Simpson said: “People are walking between the two villages of Waterhouses and Waterfall. People are trying to get to the church and also to the pub.
“Something needs to be done on the corner. There is a change of habit now where people are walking more. This now needs addressing.
“We could highlight the issue to Staffordshire County Council and inform them that the parish council has heard of near misses. It is a county council issue, so we are letting them know that there is a problem.”
Councillor Bob Turner said the last time they reported the issue to the county council they wanted the parish council to pay for the work.
He said: “This could cost thousands of pounds. Staffordshire County Council needs too investigate the risks. Our letter to them should say that concerns have been made that there have been near misses.
“By doing this we are flagging up concerns over the area for them to identify the risks and find a solution. We should also contact our county councillor Gill Heath who has already tried to help.”
Councillor John Goldstraw said that the parish council had been told that the land available was not wide enough for a footpath.
He said: “The area has not had an established footpath, but we have been told by Staffordshire County Council that the area is not wide enough for a pavement to be made.”
With regard to the Manifold Track, which is used by thousands of walkers through the year, councillors were informed by a parishioner that rocks were falling from the hillside to the nearby track.
Chairman of the parish council, Councillor David Stone, said: “We have had complaints that rocks are falling down the hillside. It needs a net from the sewage works to the first bridge.”
Councillor Bob Turner said: “A safety issue has been raised and Staffordshire County Council needs to address it. An urgent safety survey is required on the bank.”
Parish councillors agreed to write to Staffordshire County Council, who have the responsibility for highways, asking them to look at the safety issues on the Waterfall road and also on the Manifold Track.
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