FURIOUS Johnson Fold residents have slammed the Council for ignoring their suggestions over road changes on Moss Bank Way. They are claiming that a series of demands have been "laughed at", leaving them in fear that the roadworks which are due to begin on Monday will devastate their lives. The council has cut down trees along the road to allow Moss Bank Way to be widened.

But residents say they are still in the dark, even though they had talks in July with Adrian Golland, the council's assistant director of engineering, as well as Cllr John Byrne and two members of the environment department's engineering division, Dave Sutton and Glynn Poulson.

Helen Catterall, chairman of the residents' association, said: "It just absolutely stinks. The environment department have been unbelievable. It's as though they have been laughing at us."

The residents set up a list of proposals including:

a demand to send letters to the elderly outlining the council's plans;

a plan to cut the speed limit on the road outside the primary school to 30mph;

proposals to take away the central reservation, erect a crossing point and place more barriers near bungalows owned by the elderly.

Mrs Catterall said: "The council took away the grass verges, leaving us with a tiny pavement. It is dangerous for the elderly people in the area and we want barriers placed by the side of the reduced walking area."

However, the council said it had given the residents a consultation meeting during which they discussed the various measures. A council spokesman said: "At the meeting in July a number of issues were agreed and we said we would investigate the situation.

"We are about to send a letter to the group which will update them on the matter since the meeting. We do not have the finance to deal with all of the things the residents want but research is going on which will allow us to do many of them."

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