Hundreds of parents sign petition amid fears over lack of crossing to stop fast cars on Merton street

By Tara O’Connor, Local Democracy Reporter

Parents in Merton are calling on the council to install a zebra crossing on a dangerous road close to a park before someone gets “killed or injured”.

Kathryn Innes is one of around 600 people who signed a petition for a safe crossing in Cannon Hill Lane.

She said the move would make it easier for families to cross over to Joseph Hood Recreation Ground and Cannon Hill Common.

Kathryn, 42, walks across the road a few times a week to take her two-year-old son Stanley to the park.

She said: “Particularly in rush hour it is just really hard to cross there. They [vehicles] come fast down the hill and up the other way they are backed up as well.

“At the moment I am with my little one but I would hope that living so close to the park he could go on his own when he’s a bit older.

But I’d be really worried about even a 10-year-old crossing the road.”

The petition, signed by more than 600 people, was handed to Merton Council but has been rejected, with the authority saying there wasn’t the cash to make changes to the road at the moment.

Kathryn responded: “It is fine for the council to say there is no money for it, but people are being put in danger because there is no crossing.

“God forbid somebody gets killed or injured – it seems an awful way to allocate funding waiting for somebody to get injured.

“I am not going to give up with this, we’ve asked for it previously and they have said they don’t have the money at the moment.

I hope they realise the strength of feeling on this and at some point they will [have the money].”

Merton Council said there has been one hit and run on the road which it claims a zebra crossing would not have prevented.

A council spokesman said: “The council takes safety extremely serious and we have a programme for addressing accessibility and road safety issues.

“Regrettably, due to the high level of demand for intervention throughout the borough and restricted funding from TfL, the council must prioritise.

“There are a number of technical factors in this case such as low footfall, low instances of accidents (one, in which a zebra crossing wouldn’t have prevented).

“The request cannot to be prioritised at this time. Councillors have been made aware of this, and the funding position, repeatedly.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Jenifer Gould called the refusal a “slap in the face” for locals.

She said: “Merton Liberal Democrats will continue to campaign for a safe crossing point on Cannon Hill Lane, and will hold the council to account for its failure to take action on local residents’ concerns.”

Pictured: Lib Dem councillor Jenifer Gould on Cannon Hill Lane with a petition for a zebra crossing. Credit: Merton Liberal Democrats.