3 March 2021 - New signs at Puddledock Lane
Dear all,
It has been known for a while that the two sections of Puddledock Lane can confuse visitors and delivery drivers alike. This confusion took a serious turn recently when an ambulance was delayed during an emergency call to a house in the Lane. The crew arrived at the Severn Acres Road end and came across the "Unsuitable for motors " sign. Fearing they would not be able to get through they went back to the main road then up to and along Sutton Road to try and get in from the eastern end. Here they found exactly the same sign! Thankfully what could have been a life-or-death issue due to the loss of valuable minutes was resolved satisfactorily. Clearly the signage was not adequate and something needed to be done before a disaster occurred. The matter was promptly taken up with the Council and to their considerable credit they acted very swiftly and erected new additional signs on Tuesday. Hopefully these will prevent a repeat of the problem of emergency access and help others visiting the Lane.
There are a number of houses in the village with names not numbers, which can, the emergency services say, make it difficult for crews to find them, especially in the dark. They suggest that if dialling 999 you give the call handler additional information to help them find the location e.g. in the case of Puddledock Lane, which is the best entry point - either via Sutton Road or Seven Acres. The XXXX Ap can identify where you are to within metres with just three words. Identifying your front door location with these and keeping them on a handy note to pass on to the call handler could prove a life saver.
Since its “resurfacing” some three or four years ago the Puddledock Lane surface has deteriorated to the point where it is very difficult to walk along even in dry weather. But rain causes huge puddles to form and despite the efforts of dedicated villagers like Peter to channel the water away it is almost impassable. As one of my frequent walking routes I can vouch for this but suspect that finding a permanent solution will not be easy. I suppose the clue is in the name?
Keep safe and smiling
Best regards
Chris