More than 1,600 residents have signed a petition demanding urgent action at one of Nottinghamshire’s busiest and most congested junctions.
Newstead Conservative county councillor Stuart Bestwick presented the petition to Nottinghamshire County Council on behalf of residents and parish councils in Papplewick and Linby, warning that the Griffins Head Junction has become a bottleneck blighted by long queues and safety concerns.
The crossroads, where the B6011 and B683 meet, is already struggling to cope with traffic, with residents reporting severe congestion during rush hour and frequent minor collisions.
Speaking at a full council meeting, Cllr Bestwick said the junction had effectively reached capacity years ago and urged the authority to deliver a long-promised solution.
“It’s now the subject of huge traffic jams every morning and every evening,” he said.
“Lots of small accidents and bumps occur all the time.
“We’ve been told we can’t have an island, we can’t have traffic lights, we can’t have a crossing despite the safety concerns of motorists and pedestrians in that area.
“The County Council have the expertise. The question is over to you now. Let’s have a solution and let’s put the safety of people who use that junction to the forefront.”
The councillor also warned that plans for thousands of new homes across Gedling Borough could pile even more pressure onto roads that are already struggling to cope.
Under the emerging Gedling Local Development Plan, major housing growth is proposed in areas including Top Wighay, Bestwood Village and Ravenshead.
While planning decisions sit with borough councils, Cllr Bestwick argued that Nottinghamshire County Council ultimately deals with the consequences through its responsibilities for highways and flood management.
He said: “Borough councils can propose these developments but it is this council that has to pick up the pieces financially and logistically.
“We should be objecting to these applications wherever pressure on infrastructure is showing it cannot cope.
“We need to push back against these developments and insist developers put financial provision in place for improved junctions and bypasses, or improved traffic flow measures before any planned applications are agreed.”
Concerns surrounding the junction are not new. The Papplewick Neighbourhood Plan has previously highlighted the impact of housing growth on traffic levels through the village and raised concerns about the capacity of the Griffins Head crossroads.
Cllr Bestwick said the petition demonstrates the strength of local feeling and vowed to keep pressing for improvements.
“Residents have been raising these concerns for years and they deserve more than excuses,” he said.
“More than 1,600 people have now put their names to this petition because they want action.
“We cannot keep adding more traffic to roads and junctions that are already struggling and then wait for the problems to get worse.
“The County Council needs to work with the parish councils and residents, look seriously at the options and deliver a solution that puts safety and the quality of life of local people first.”
The council has been approached for comment.
