Westhoughton councillor calls for police to tackle speeding

Cllr John McHugh of Westhoughton South says that drivers breaking the speed limit is becoming more and more of an issue in the area. 

Cllr McHugh says that two specific areas, Hartford Road in Daisy Hill and Collingwood Way near Westhoughton town centre, are particular hot spots, amidst a wider trend of increased speed. 

He said: "I am knocking on doors a lot at the moment, canvassing, and people will tell us of the issues affecting them. 

"There was one yesterday on Platt Lane where a lady I spoke to said that after 7-8pm, people race down the road and that she is moving house because she has had enough of it. 

He has asked the police to do speed traps on Hartley Road and Collingwood Way (Image: Public)

"On Collingwood Way, parents said their kids aren't safe, they feel that people just are endangering safety when they go down the road. 

"It is basically everywhere in Westhoughton. On Hartford Road, there is a blind bend. 

"If anybody is speeding, if they turn right out of the estate onto Hartford Road you can't see them. Residents say there are so many close calls." 

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Cllr McHugh added: "I have spoken to police quite a lot about it. There is only one speed camera in the area, which is shared with Horwich. 

"There is an epidemic of speeding everywhere, people need to be aware of the potential consequences of what they do. 

Cllr McHugh says two particular roads have been raised as having issues with traffic (Image: Public)

"I was under the impression that all police cars had speed cameras, but the normal ones don't, only motorway police have them." 

He added: "So it is obvious that they would like to do more, but they can't because they don't have the resources to do it. 

"When resources allow, I have asked for speed traps on those roads. Particularly when it is summer and the holidays are coming, with children out and about." 

This comes after councillors called for extra speed cameras to be brought in to Westhoughton late last year. 

The warnings came after neighbourhood police officers carried out a number of speed checks in the area on Park Road, Hindley Road, and Wigan Road. 

Residents also raised concerns over speeding in the area at a PACT meeting at the time.