Michael’s Princes Drive fear

Warwickshire County Council changed the road markings on the carriageway as part of the wider Morrisons supermarket project recently but Michael Kalas , 69,says that he and several of his friends are concerned about the safety of people using either the road or the foot path under the railway bridge.

His first concern is the width of the path under the bridge.

Mr Kalas, who lives in Dunblane Drive, New Cubbington and is a former product designer and project manager, said: “A lot of us old Leamingtonians meet up from time to time to discuss all sorts of things and these issues always come up.

“I saw a cyclist nearly fall off his bike on that part of the footpath because it was so narrow and a man on a mobility scooter who couldn’t get through it either.

“If you’re quite broad you have to lean over the railings to avoid walking into the stone work.

“There was an opportunity to sort all of these problems out in one fell swoop and they have missed the most obvious part.”

Mr Kalas is also worried about the changing of the original road markings, which now direct traffic into two lanes coming from the direction of Myton Road and Europa WayHe said: “With the volume of traffic in that area converging on that section of road it is lethal.

“I’ve lived in Leamington for nearly 70 years, I go by habit, but suddenly they’ve changed the lanes.

“Road safety is one of the most important factors of a development project not just for motorists and cyclists but for the general public and it should have been taken on board immediately.

“It’s getting to the stage where Princess Drive is not a user friendly area for all age groups.”

A council spokeswoman said modifications to the footpaths or kerbs under the bridge were not part of the project and that it would require major work for any alterations to be made.