As many of you will know, a young girl was knocked down last night (31st October) on New St in Measham. I was truly delighted to hear today that she is home, safe, and – all things considered – well.
I do not have any authority when it comes to Road Safety – it is not in the District Council’s remit. But I absolutely cannot stand by and let this lucky escape go unnoticed. If this is an abuse of the platform you have given me as District Councillor then so be it. I am truly sorry if it is, but I am a Dad to a 7yr old and a 5yr old myself and so I absolutely cannot stay silent given the tiny bit of power and platform that I have.
At this stage, I do not know what has happened in full. I simply know that a Girl was hit by a vehicle on New Street coming from the traffic lights heading towards Oakthorpe. Therefore, I will not speculate that it is an accident caused by Speed or anything of a neglectful nature. The Police need to do their work and this may just be a terrible accident.
That said, in speaking with residents both last night and this morning along with other messages received, I am certain that the predictability of a serious accident is something considered by many to be true. Too many people are driving very very fast, or without due care and residents are witnessing it far too frequently.
The County Council are responsible for Highways and I am already in conversation with my counterpart there to ensure they know what the feeling is. Cllr Ashman has already told me he is happy to help organise a Speed Watch for the village.
The Police are responsible for issues regarding speeding and I am emailing the Inspector of North West Leicestershire Police a copy of this statement to ensure he is fully up to speed with what my view is.
I’m told that to install a speed watch needs the support of Measham Parish Council and so I will have this on my report to MPC next Thursday as a topic for discussion.
You can help too. I feel sure we will need volunteers to come forward. If you would like to participate in the Speed Watch and help tackle this issue then please message me. It’s so important as many people as possible help us take action. Can you? Please email me: PAUL.LEES@nwleicestershire.gov.uk if you want to.
No matter what caused this accident, if you are one of the people who is speeding in our village – New Street or anywhere else – then please, just stop. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions and just Slow Down. All of the Mums and Dads in the village really need you to listen – a lot of people are scared.
Finally, to everyone who helped the little girl last night, Thank You. I’ve read the father’s post about how everyone assisted and I’m warmed to read how we responded as a community. That’s what we stand for in Measham and I’m proud of that.