Accrington street safety works get underway

Preparatory work got under way this week for a project to improve the area around Countess Street in Accrington.

Contractors working on behalf of Lancashire County Council (LCC) will establish a temporary site compound, office and welfare facilities in the park area on Park Road, ahead of the improvement works.

The main construction work will follow.

The work forms part of LCC’s £55million county‑wide ‘Safer, Greener and Healthier Streets’ programme, which aims to make it easier and safer for people to get around.

The project will be delivered in phases to help minimise disruption.

The Countess Street project involves improving walking routes to the local primary schools, greenspaces, the town centre and local community facilities such as the leisure centre.

Improvements to Park Road — a key route people use to get to Hyndburn Primary School from Blackburn Road and Hyndburn Road — include making the pavements wider towards the southern end and introducing bollards to stop people parking on pavements.

New road markings will also help to stop parking outside the school and make the road safer for children.

The improvements on Countess Street itself will focus on slowing down traffic and making it safer for people to cross the road.

This will involve raising the road to meet the kerb level (raised tables) at five junctions and making the footway wider on two corners of these junctions to narrow the road so only one vehicle can drive through at one time.

Bollards will be introduced along the edge of the footways to improve sight lines for people trying to cross the road and to discourage parking on pavements.

This will provide space for some street trees and planting.

The existing Park Road play area will be improved, with new planting and upgrades to the green space between India Street and Wesley Street, including new seating.

A new play area is also proposed in Bradshaw Street, where play equipment will be introduced along with protective surfacing, improved lighting, seating and cycle parking.

Some roads connecting into Blackburn Road are not open to traffic, including Persia Street, Swiss Street, Monk Street and Frederick Street, where pavements will be resurfaced, new street trees planted and new seating provided.

Cllr Warren Goldsworthy, LCC’s highways boss, said: “Residents in Accrington will begin to see activity on site as we prepare for improvements in the Countess Street area.

“By taking a phased approach, we can get everything in place and minimise disruption, while preparing for improvements that will make streets safer and easier to use for local people.”