HEREFORDSHIRE Council and their highways contractor, Balfour Beatty, are refusing to implement rail safety measures near Wellington level crossing, near Marden, which the council had agreed to fund jointly with Network Rail.

When the River Lugg floods the road from Marden to the A49, heavy vehicles ignore the ‘road closed’ signs before eventually realising they can’t proceed and having to reverse over the level crossing.

Network Rail has said that the barriers close just 27 seconds before the train arrives doing 90mph. If a vehicle was stuck on the crossing, it would derail the train, with the potential loss of many lives.

All parties involved – the council, Network Rail and Balfour Beatty – had agreed that gates to close off the road when flooding occurred should be installed, but they were initially erected in the wrong place.

Despite the determined efforts of Sutton Walls ward councillor, Cllr Kema Guthrie, to get the gates installed in the correct position, the council’s Cabinet member for highways, Cllr Paul Rone, and Balfour Beatty are now saying they are not needed.

All the local parish councils support Cllr Guthrie’s efforts to get this vital safety measure in place, but this seems to carry no weight with Cllr Rone who won’t even agree to a site meeting with the parish councils.

The cost of the works to the council is only about £3,000, so any arguments about lack of money just won’t wash.

Please, Herefordshire Council, get on and implement this safety measure before it’s too late.

STAN GYFORD Sutton St Nicholas