A MOTORBIKE crash last weekend has prompted fresh calls for a Wrecclesham bypass and traffic-calming measures throughout the village this week. The comments come following a collision on the A325 at the junction of the Street and School Hill on Saturday, which saw a Honda motorbike collide with two other vehicles at around 1-15 pm. Police were called to the scene and the rider of the motorbike was later taken to hospital by ambulance for treatment to minor injuries. Charles White, a local photographer who lives in the village, witnessed the aftermath of the accident. "The bike was wrecked," he said. "It looked a sorry state with the rider of the motorbike lying in the centre of the road." He explained that a sign had been stuck to the side of a bollard at the junction where the smash took place, warning road users to "beware" of the trouble spot. "It's obvious that this is a problem area as somebody has put that sign up there. I think that the road is very dangerous indeed and there's a slight blindspot in your windscreen at that particular junction." He went on to say that when he arrived at the scene he was told by an observer that the bike had ploughed into the side of a car pulling out of School Hill into The Street. "There was only a tiny dent on the side of the car but the motorbike was destroyed," he added. Despite plans for a mini-roundabout to be installed at the site in November, residents feel that it's simply not enough to deal with the constant heavy traffic. Mike Murphy, a concerned resident and long- standing campaigner for a Wrecclesham relief road, explained how the incident highlighted the need for traffic calming in the village. "The trouble is that people just don't progress at the speed they should do when pulling out of that junction," he said. "What we originally wanted there was a set of traffic lights and a pedestrian crossing, but we were told that they couldn't afford it. We should have had a roundabout put in five or six years ago, but I went down to the area when they were chalking it out and they said that it wasn't going to fit and that was it. Nothing has happened since." Surrey Highways has outlined plans for a mini-roundabout at the junction of The Street and School Hill, to be installed in November. A spokesman said: "The new roundabout will reduce traffic speed going down the hill and stop people whizzing around that bend. It should make exiting School Hill easier as it will make people look to the right to check for oncoming traffic." There was also confirmation that a new interactive sign would be placed on the road, displaying a warning to those breaking the speed limit. Mr Murphy, a previous chairman of the Wrecclesham Residents' Association, dismissed the proposals as "unable to work". Having campaigned for a relief road since 1968, he added that a bypass has been on the books "time and time again" over the years and that the road "can be likened to the A31" in terms of the level of traffic. "I really don't think it's going to work. The only answer in my opinion is traffic lights and a pedestrian crossing, which will help people get across the road safely. Talking about the need for a bypass he added: "The middle of Wrecclesham is a conservation area and it isn't just the people of the village who will benefit from it, everyone will." David Munro, Surrey county councillor for Farnham South, echoed comments made by Mr Murphy, calling a bypass "the only true solution" to the problem. "The mini-roundabout that is going to be installed won't help matters right at the top of the road of course, but it will make it better," he said. "People will start slowing down quite a bit before the roundabout. It's not a complete solution, but it is the most urgent measure to be taken." He said that the addition of interactive signs will slow vehicles "to begin with" but claimed it was impossible to know if they would have a long-term effect. Mr Munro added that speed tests were due to be carried out in Echo Barn Lane next week and spoke of the level of support for the ongoing bypass campaign. "The building of a bypass is the only true solution, really, because the simple fact of the matter is that the Wrecclesham road was not designed for that amount of traffic. I think we all agree that this road is not satisfactory."
