Calls to solve congestion on Linslade's Cedars Way which has been a 'problem for 20 years'

Keith Blackwell claims that the road has been congested for 20 years and that the problem is becoming worse.

He argues that parking provision is needed, that more students should walk to school, and speeding cars are an issue.

Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) says it's working with local schools and that it will "need time to visit the road to review the possibilities".

Keith claimed: "Parked cars are partly causing the problem, and 50 per cent of these are people who arrive early to leave for the train station, and don't collect their cars until the evening. It's also caused by the number of parents driving their children to school. You can sit in the traffic for around half an hour if you try to drive down near start and finish times.

"I requested parking restrictions, such as yellow lines, via Fix My Street, but CBC sent a disingenuous reply, which just pointed out that the number of cars on the roads has increased."

Keith, who lives on the corner of Wyngates and Cedars Way, is also concerned about people speeding in the area. Indeed, an incident in 2021 saw one car "land upside down" on a hedge.

He claimed: "There’s also a danger because some cars mount the pavements."

Responding to the issues raised by Keith, CBC Victoria Harvey, of Leighton Linslade West, claimed: "There has been no promotion of the new bus network, particularly to schools, and CBC has a sustainability plan but seems to have little energy in helping parents and children not use cars to get to school.

"In general, there are parking problems across Central Beds, and major problems outside schools."

A Central Bedfordshire Council spokeswoman said: "We encourage schools to update their travel plans to promote walking and cycling and we also support initiatives like Walk to School Week. We are also working with those schools who put themselves forward to trial School Streets, which can include restrictions during drop-off and pick-up time.

“Our ability to address parking is often limited by the existing layout, boundary space, land ownership and budget. We also need to make sure that any changes we make don’t just transfer the problem to another area. We can consider the implementation of parking restrictions for the location, but we need time to visit the road to review the possibilities before we decide what would, if anything, be appropriate to implement.

“Enforcement is only possible in areas with established parking restrictions and regular enforcement patrols are carried out in Cedars Way, Mentmore Road and Wing Road, particularly focusing on school parking.

“We are aware that there have been collisions in the location. Our officers will review the recorded causes along with other available data, to determine if any safety improvements to Cedars Way need to be considered."

Mark Gibbs, Headteacher for Linslade School and Cedars Upper School, said: “We are aware of the local resident’s concerns.

“As schools, we encourage our community to walk and cycle wherever possible and teach our students the importance of road safety. We also remind our parents to park and drive considerately for our students and neighbours at school drop off and collection times.”