Buxton man fears someone could be killed near 'dangerous' Morrisons junction

Dan Wright, 28, has told how he and others crossing Bakewell Road - either from Buxton or after walking down Dale Lane - risk life and limb to reach the store crossing near the roundabout.

Cleaner Dan, who does not drive, explained how pedestrians’ view of speeding cars approaching the mini-roundabout junction into the store was obscured by sharp bends in both directions approaching it.

He worries that a shopper on-foot will one day be killed trying to cross near the busy roundabout and is calling on the council to install a pedestrian crossing.

Dan, who suffers from hydrocephalus and cerebral palsy, said: “People find this junction really dangerous - you have to rush across the road.

“You get school kids crossing there to use Morrisons and I’d hate someone to get run over.

“People drive too fast there and it’s difficult to know when to cross - you end up standing there for ages waiting for someone to stop.”

Dan said he had contacted Debyshire County Council ‘numerous times’ but had been told a crossing was not possible.

He added: “Nobody is listening to me or bothering to do anything about it.

“The county council say it can’t be done - maybe because of the island.

“But it feels like they’re saying pedestrians should not be there and everyone should drive.”

A spokesman for Derbyshire County Council said: “There is already a pedestrian island in the middle of Bakewell Road so pedestrians can safely cross the road in two stages.

“Some time ago we did look at the possibility of providing a controlled crossing a bit further down the road.

“However this would require quite a bit of work as the High Pavement side would need to be ramped and a retaining wall built which would cost about £250,000 compared with £35,000 for a normal crossing.

“There have been no accidents involving pedestrians on this part of Bakewell Road in the last three years and so we do not currently have any plans to change the crossing.”