The number of accidents at a prominent roundabout on the outskirts of Woodley was raised at a recent meeting of Wokingham Borough Council.
Peter Wheat asked Cllr Adrian Betteridge, the executive councillor responsible for active travel, transport and highways: “During the time I have lived near Shepherds Hill roundabout, London Road, on the edge of Woodley, there have been 77 accidents, including seven Serious accidents.
“Most recently there was a serious accident where a cyclist was hit by a car, and later died.
“What is the council doing to improve public road safety at this accident hotspot?”
Cllr Betteridge replied. He said: “Thank you for your question. We should not accept the number of people killed or seriously injured on our roads, in the country as a whole or in Wokingham.
“Road users such as pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists are more vulnerable and are harmed more disproportionately.
“The police are investigating the collision on August 29, and council officers will work with them to understand the causes and any contributory factors.
“I know you understand that I cannot talk about that incident more at this stage, other than to express my heartfelt condolences, and those of the council, to the family and friends of the deceased.
“I take our road safety responsibilities very seriously. We review annually all the reported safety incidents where there has been an injury, to identify cluster sites to investigate further.
“At these locations, formal police reports are analysed to understand the circumstances, and to identify if any measures can be implemented that would reduce or remove the likelihood of a repeat.
“We look at the last five years of data, which is the national standard, in which there have been ten reported incidents in the vicinity of the Shepherds Hill roundabout.
“These occurred at multiple locations around the elongated roundabout and had not in previous reviews identified a cluster requiring priority attention.
“However, in the light of the tragic incident last month and having discussed the general situation at the roundabout, officers will look again at what changes could be made in the area, both at specific locations and in general.
“The initial investigations have identified that the main contributor issues have been driver behaviour or impairment through alcohol or drugs, though I stress that this does not include the most recent incident, which will in turn be reviewed when the police investigation is complete.
“Changes which mitigate collisions in this area will be considered.
Mt Wheat then asked whether the council will consider converting Shepherds Hill gyratory into a Dutch style roundabout, similar to the one implemented by Hemel Hempstead council?”
Cllr Betteridge said: “Dutch style roundabouts have much to offer in the right locations and Wokingham borough has previously considered the installation of such a design in another location.
“The examination of the collision history will be determined to use what options will be applicable at Shepherds Hill, but nothing will be ruled out.”
