Accident hotspot set to get cash boost to help safety (From Sutton Guardian)

Wallington road where Gary Mason killed could get cash to make it safer

10:00am Friday 1st February 2013 in News By James Pepper

An area notorious for road accidents is set to get investment to make it safer.

The Woodcote Green area of Wallington has seen two fatal accidents in the recent past and 23 accidents in total.

Residents have spent years complaining to the council about the dangers of the road, and have now asked for improvements to address a "poor accident record".

In January 2011 boxing Champion Gary Mason was killed after a collision with a white van in Sandy Lane South, near the junction with Woodcote Road.

A motorcyclist was killed in 2009 after being hit by a truck outside Wallington High School for Girls on Woodcote Road.

Plans to improve the junction in 2009 were put on the back burner after a bid by Sutton Council for Government funding was turned down by Transport for London (TfL), which decides where limited road safety funding is allocated across the capital.

Now TfL have offered the council £2.3m for its Local Implementation Plan, of which the plans for road safety are included. £50,000 has been set aside for improvement works on roads in the area, but exactly what works will be carried out are yet to be decided.

Councillor Joyce Melican chair of Wallington and Beddington Local Committee said: "The project is currently at the investigation stage and based on the findings a number of options will be drawn up for consultation with residents, stakeholders and the ward councillors before being approved by the Local Committee."