Section of road at 'dangerous junction' in Kenilworth town centre is to remain closed

Vehicles were banned from travelling along a short section of Station Road at its junction with Warwick Road from November 2021. That temporary restriction is due to end in May but Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for transport and planning, Cllr Wallace Redford (Con, Cubbington and Leek Wootton) made the closure permanent today (Friday).

A consultation period led to letters both in favour and against the scheme which has the backing of Kenilworth Town Council who funded large wooden planters for the area.

A report outlining the plans said: “The experimental scheme prohibited the misuse of the right turn ban at the junction of Station Road and Warwick Road, which was widely ignored by motorists. Additionally, the closure created a pedestrianised area for local businesses to utilise this space, creating a small pedestrian parklet. The scheme has successfully reduced the number of near misses and collisions at this junction due to it being closed, and does not cause an adverse environmental impact on traffic around the area.

“Warwickshire County Council is satisfied that the experiment was successful. In the experimental closure period, it monitored the traffic flow under normal, post Covid conditions, and monitored the effect the closure had on this traffic.

“Naturally, as a road has been closed, traffic has been displaced to surrounding roads, including Abbey End, so whilst traffic using this road has increased, WCC have not reported any significant impacts on this road. If the permanent closure of the road is approved, a full safety assessment will take place on surrounding roads and any engineering measures installed as appropriate.”

The report added that Kenilworth Town Council said that it would like this section of the road to be paved as it had a long-term vision of creating a pedestrianised area for extra seating and amenities for local businesses. Such work would be subject to separate discussions and the funding coming from the town council.