There has been much comment and concern about safety improvements to the intersection of the A417 and the A4103 roads at Newtown crossroads.

I thought it would be useful if I commented on the background to the decision to install traffic lights.

This junction has been a cause for concern for many years. In spite of an initial reduction of accidents following the speed reduction to 40 mph, new signage, an anti-skid surface and mobile speed cameras, over the last four years accident numbers have increased, culminating in a fatality late last year.

Because of the fatality, action to improve safety at the junction was brought forward.

As speed was a contributory factor in only one of the accidents, according to police accident reports, it was considered that a further reduction in speed to 30 mph would have no effect.

The junction accident criteria had also not reached the level where the West Mercia Speed Camera Partnership would consider installing permanent cameras.

Options considered were a realignment of the side roads, a roundabout or traffic signals.

The first option was discarded because the owner of the adjacent garage was not willing to keep an area of his forecourt clear of vehicles to produce the visibility splay required by present standards and because of the costs necessary to widen the highway to provide a right turn bay for vehicles leaving the A4103. The approximate costs would be £150,000.

A roundabout was rejected as preliminary design work showed it could not be achieved to current design standards without the demolition of property, even with the land offered by a local farmer.

The timescale to obtain the land if compulsory purchase orders had to be resorted to could be over three years, which was too long to leave the safety issue unaddressed. The approximate costs would be in excess of £1m.

Option 3 has been shown, for instance at the Trumpet crossroads, to achieve the required safety improvements. The approximate costs will be £100,000.

All the alternatives were discussed with the parish council and the local ward member. The general public were invited to two open meetings, arranged by the parish council. While objectors to the traffic lights have been very vocal, it must be remembered that road users outnumber the residents many times and they have quietly made their support known.

The traffic survey carried out by Herefordshire Council was used in computer modelling to identify that, even at peak times, there was likely to be between eight and ten vehicles in a queue at the lights and considerably less at other times.

The decision was agreed by the West Mercia Police, the local member, council officers, myself and, with reservations, by the parish council.

I would ask all users of the junction to bear with our contractors during the installation period, as the temporary traffic lights will be primitive compared to the "intelligent lights" being installed. Consequently queues are likely to be longer during these periods.

MIKE WILSON, cabinet member (Highways and Transportation), Herefordshire Council.