The future could be looking brighter for one of Wokingham’s most notorious accident black spots as it was revealed that a meeting between senior decision-makers was imminent.
Multiple crashes have occurred at the intersection of the B3016 and B3348 – the former location of Finchampstead war memorial – since the iconic landmark was removed by Finchampstead Parish Council (FPC).
For more than a century, the cross stood as a focal point for the village. However, the junction’s layout has long caused visibility issues, particularly for cyclists heading uphill from Finchampstead Village and turning right towards Crowthorne.
Local campaigner Ian Adnams said: “It was the parish council who removed the monument and promised improvements to the junction which they have so far failed to deliver. The borough council is not culpable.
“Finchampstead Parish Council knew before they started promoting ‘junction improvements’ that Wokingham Borough Council had no plans beyond what has now been delivered.”
The parish council removed the memorial in 2022, and ironically, part of the justification for removing the landmark in 2022 was to make the junction safer but since the cross was removed, incidents seem to have increased.
This week it was revealed that the Finchampstead Parish Council is about to meet with senior figures from Wokingham Borough Council to discuss the issue.
Key figures at FPC, likely to include Chairman David Cornish are expected to meet with senior figures in Wokingham on July 6 or July 7.
Earlier this year the Borough Council conducted a survey of the users of the junction, and the traffic behaviour.
The borough is expected to present its findings from that survey to the parish and look at what other options are available for the scheme.
Earlier this year, Wokingham Borough Council installed cameras and speed monitoring equipment at all approaches to the junction to better understand driver behaviour.
Plans were also reported to include anti-skid surfacing and two stripes of pink paint have been added on each approach, though its impact appears limited.
Councillor Simon Weeks, who has witnessed the aftermath of seven collisions at the site, praised the recent addition of pink paint on the road: “The red tarmac could only add to the safety.
“I think it helps in the sense that any change to a road’s surface and signage tends to draw people’s attention.”
