Village calls for action over farm vehicle traffic

Accidents involving farm vehicles are occurring with “alarming regularity” in Prickwillow as use of the village’s tiny roads increases.

About 40 people attended last week’s village council meeting in which the topic of farm traffic going through the village – and the poor state of the village’s roads – were raised.

Prickwillow farmer Nick Edell told the meeting that even he had noticed “the large amount of farm vehicles moving throughout the village both day and night”.

The meeting heard that accidents were now occurring in the village “with alarming regularity”, with incidents in recent weeks including the destruction of an electricity pole in Putney Hill Road and the irreparable damage to the bus shelter after a hay bale came loose from a load.

There was also a near miss for homeowner Kath Gardiner back in September after a tractor and trailer uncoupled and smashed into her back garden, flattening her leylandii

The meeting heard: “Standards of driving are in question as a large number of these farm vehicles are being driven with operators talking on mobile phones, speeding, not paying attention to other traffic on the road.”

District councillors for Prickwillow, Richard Hobbs and Lis Every, promised villagers they would take the issue up with local farmers and the police to make sure “action was being taken”.