Residents in Bath Road are campaigning for one end of the street to be reopened as they fear a new primary school will cause car chaos.
Bath Road at its junction with Foxglove Way, in Luton, is currently closed to vehicles, and the petition, which was heard at the Central Area Board Committee meeting on Thursday (June 13), asks for it to be reopened from New Bedford Road.
River Bank Primary school is expected to open in September 2013 on the site of the former Wardown Swimming and Leisure Centre.
The campaigners state: “There are no plans to reopen the closed-off section of Bath Road which leads to New Bedford Road. We, the undersigned, are concerned residents of the neighbourhood and believe that traffic through Foxglove Way will cause disruption to the development. We therefore petition to open the restricted section of Bath Road to ease traffic flow around the area.”
The petition is signed by 83 residents from 34 properties in Poppy Close, Primrose Close and Foxglove Way.
The old Bath Road junction was originally closed for safety reasons, as there was poor visibility for drivers.
A report by the council’s traffic and asset team manager states that the junction is not suitable to be reopened to vehicles on safety grounds.
To make it safe, it would cost the council £32,000.
The school does not yet have planning permission and is required in its application to carry out a traffic impact assessment and a school travel plan.