Newark town centre rat-run prompts safety fears

Lives are being put at risk because a pedestrianised area of Newark town centre is being used as a rat-run to avoid queues caused by a temporary one-way system, it has been claimed.

The latest phase of Severn Trent’s £60m scheme to improve the town’s water and sewerage system means the one-way system will be in place until June.

Some drivers, however, are flouting the law in a bid to cross town quicker and beat the queues, and are using Cartergate and Baldertongate as a rat-run to do it.

Cartergate is a pedestrian zone where vehicles are prohibited, except for permit holders, and for loading and unloading between 4pm and 10am.

It is one-way from Beaumond Cross to Appletongate but vehicles have also been seen driving the other way.

Shoppers and business owners told the Advertiser they believed lives were being put at risk.

'Several cars completely ignored the one-way system'

Mrs Nicola Mills, who co-owns N.V us Cards on Cartergate with Mrs Vivian Membride, said: “There has definitely been an increase in the amount of traffic through Cartergate.

“If a child was to run out, there is always a worry that something could happen.”

Mrs Membride said: “Not only has there been more traffic coming through, several cars have completely ignored the one-way system and driven through the opposite way, which increases the risk of something happening.”

The owner of The Curtain Mill, on Cartergate, Mrs Theresa Miller, said: “Sometimes, if traffic is backed up all the way, it could be the only option is to cut through, but from what I have noticed it appears to mainly be younger drivers coming through.

“I make sure when I am dropping off stock to the shop I do it before anywhere opens so I don’t encounter any problems.”

Mrs Miller said trade had been hit since the one-way system began.

“There is hardly anyone in town. You cannot just quickly nip somewhere now and it is putting people off coming into town entirely,” she said.

One shopper said: “While there has always been a problem with vehicles ignoring the ‘No Motor Vehicles’ signs it has become many times worse since the sewer works.

“At around 3.30pm I noted that so many vehicles were cutting through the Cartergate and Baldertongate pedestrian areas that traffic was backed all the way up Appletongate, causing a queue on Cartergate.

“Walking in Cartergate and Baldertongate has become dangerous as many of these vehicles are driven at excessive speed.

“Speaking to a traffic warden it seems that moving traffic offences are the domain of the police, but moving traffic offences anywhere, not least in town, appear to be of little interest to the constabulary.

“In fact, my long-time enquiries regarding this matter have led me to the conclusion that no authority, be it the police, council or highways, believe that the problem is theirs, resulting in this free-for-all that we have now.”

'I fear someone is going to get injured, or worse'

Another resident said: “I was on Cartergate on Thursday evening and couldn’t believe the number of cars driving up the road ­— it was almost a steady stream.

“Many of them were driving fast. They didn’t slow down at all, apparently not bothered that they were driving in a pedestrianised zone.

“I was talking to a friend who pulled me out of the way of a speeding car at one point. I fear someone is going to get injured, or worse, if something is not done to block the rat-run.”

The one-way system allows traffic along Castlegate only from Beastmarket Hill roundabout towards Lombard Street.

Vehicles travelling along Lombard Street in the opposite direction can go only as far as Newark Bus Station.

It is in place to allow Severn Trent to drill a tunnel linking its Crankley Point sewage works to Millgate.

A spokesman for Severn Trent said: “Our £60m project to improve Newark’s waste and water network is progressing well and our teams are continuing to work on Castlegate connecting sewers to the new tunnel we have created.

“The one-way system will remain in place until work in this area is completed in June, and drivers who ignore traffic restrictions put themselves at risk of police action.

“We understand that our work may be delaying drivers but the long-terms benefits of the project will see hundreds of homes protected from flooding, so we would ask all drivers show the teams patience as they work and to follow the correct diversions in place.”

Mr Peter Goode, traffic manager at Via East Midlands, which manages Nottinghamshire’s highways services on behalf of the county council, said: “The works being undertaken by Severn Trent Water have inevitably caused some delays, but we are working with them to minimise disruption to road users.

“We have been made aware of vehicles driving along the pedestrian zone at Cartergate and have been liaising with Nottinghamshire Police, as this is an enforceable offence.”

Nottinghamshire Police referred the Advertiser to the county council.