SOME of Middlewich's most dangerous roads are being scrutinised by the area's leading highways authority.

Following calls from Councillor Dave Sutton, safety issues on Holmes Chapel Road, St Anne's Walk and Croxton Lane are being studied.

As a result the Joint Highways Committee, made up of members of Cheshire County Council and Congleton Borough Council, is compiling a report on how dangerous the roads are.

Clr Sutton has called for an investigation to be carried out into the possibility of providing wider footpaths along the length of the A54 Holmes Chapel Road.

At present the footpaths running along Holmes Chapel Road are barely wide enough for two people to walk side by side and Clr Sutton claims they are extremely dangerous for anyone who pushes prams along the stretch from the roundabout to the town centre.

It is hoped that following the study the committee will give the green light to a programme of footpath widening, making the road safer for pedestrians.

Clr Sutton has also asked that the committee introduces a programme of total prohibition with regard to parking on St Anne's Walk, replacing the existing parking restrictions.

The current restrictions are often ignored by drivers and access to the medical centre is obstructed causing problems for other users of the road and the disabled who need open access to the centre.

Following a period of work on the Croxton Lane bridge, during which traffic lights were used to regulate the flow of traffic, Clr Sutton asked the committee to consider the permanent introduction of lights to the stretch of road.

Clr Sutton said: "We are still waiting on the results of the reports.

"There are counters down on Croxton Lane at the moment and now we simply have to wait for the feedback and go through the process of correlating all the figures."

ghellam@guardiangrp.co.uk