A RESPONSE has been given for a call for a road to be closed to pedestrians after it was said that ‘safety is a lottery’.

Former Warrington mayor Geoff Settle has called for action to be taken by Warrington Borough Council in relation to Delph Lane in Winwick.

In addition, he has called for Myddleton Lane red route signage to be extended to Delph Lane after running along the road recently.

Geoff stated that there was a large amount of shattered wing mirror pieces on the route when he ran along the road recently

He said: “I am a TT marshal with eight years of experience, and I feel more exposed to the dangers along Delph Lane than I ever did facing riders travelling at speed at points along sector 12.

“I only venture onto the live track of the race when the yellow or red flags are being waved. Safety is paramount. On Delph Lane, this is a lottery.

“Even with my experience of being a TT marshal, facing bikes of up to 200mph, I find Delph Lane daunting in places, and I must think very quickly and carefully even walking down the lane.”

He said that he was forced to run in the road at one point, and that dangers along the route have previously been raised with him by residents and during the Peel Hall inquiry.

In response, a council spokesman said: “It is not possible to deny pedestrians the right to use Delph Lane as it has the status of being public highway.

“To divert or stop highways for all road users, there would need to be evidence that it is no longer required or alternative routes are available.

“In this case, there are no other reasonable routes that pedestrians could use.

“Red route signage that was previously placed on seven routes across Warrington in 2007 was removed in 2023.

“This was due to studies of the frequency of collision on these routes suggesting that the signs are not influencing an improvement in road safety.

“We are aware that damage-only collisions have occurred on Delph Lane and understand the reasons why drivers misjudge the alignment of the road.

“However, an engineering solution would require significant investment, including the acquisition of private land.

“The injury collision history is relatively good where the incidents have occurred, therefore resources cannot be redirected from other priority road safety improvements at the moment.

“We have considered traffic engineering measures that would reduce vehicle speed and make the route less attractive to traffic.

“Through local consultation, it was established that the requirements of larger agricultural vehicles would not be maintained, and the scheme could not be progressed.

“We have included Delph Lane in an area-wide HGV movement restriction as a deterrent to the larger traffic that might attempt to travel through.”

On flooding concerns, the council says that this is due to overflow from rural land during heavy storms, which is highlighted by signage, and that there is no evidence that any issue with the road itself is causing flooding.

The council added that it will speak to landowners regarding issues with overgrown bushes forcing people into the road, while it will continue to routinely inspect the carriageway condition for any defects.