Residents petition for speeding restrictions near Bedford's Abbey Fields

Residents are petitioning the council to introduce “speed reduction measures” in Abbey Fields.

In the petition – which you can access here – they hope Bedford Borough Council will “investigate, determine, and install speed reduction methods to effectively prevent excessive use of speed along Abbey Fields. In particular between the end of Meadowsweet Drive and Waltham Drive.”

It added: “The issue of the speed of vehicles along the stretch of Abbey Fields between the end of Meadowsweet Drive and Waltham Drive has been steadily increasing. There has been a notable increase since the introduction of average speed cameras along Mile Road and Harrowden Road.”

As far as the residents are concerned, the issue is twofold: Firstly, traffic going over the speed limit and; secondly, traffic using the road as a through road to Meadowsweet Drive and beyond.

It said: “Both involve a number of drivers that 'race' between the roundabouts and then 'put their foot down' after the Sandleford Drive roundabout.”

There have also been a number of pets run over, according to the petition’s authors.

One resident – Emma Thomas – said: “Not only is there a real danger of someone being seriously hurt or even killed, the noise late at night is causing a disturbance for the residents. This coupled with the noise from vehicles on the A421... has left those living there sandwiched between two busy noisy roads with little respite.”

Anyone interested in signing the petition has until August 20.

You can access it here