Residents’ concerns about roads, transport and road safety are being turned into action through West Berkshire Council’s new Highways Improvement Group.

The Highways Improvement Group (HIG) brings councillors and highways officers together in a dedicated public forum to consider concerns affecting roads, pavements, transport and road safety across the district.

Following the first public meeting in October, a range of issues raised by residents, parish councils and local councillors are now being investigated or progressed. These range from requests for pedestrian crossings and changes to speed limits to concerns about bus services and cycling safety.

Concerns raised by communities are already leading to further action. Requests for new pedestrian crossings at Pinchington Lane/Greenham Road and Overdown Road will be assessed through pedestrian and traffic counts, while possible changes to speed limits in Hampstead Norreys and outside Compton Secondary School will also be investigated.

Other concerns have prompted further work on policies around naming unnamed roads and on Lawrences Lane in Thatcham, where options for possible traffic restrictions will be explored. Cycling concerns on Andover Road will be referred to the Cycle Forum, while a formal process will be introduced to ensure ward councillors are notified and can provide feedback on future bus service changes.

The group is also helping to make communication around highways issues more open. Residents can submit public questions, while issues raised with the group can either be considered further or referred to the most appropriate forum.

The meeting also welcomed Marlborough Highways, the Council’s new highways maintenance contractor, and discussed opportunities to work together on the Highways Peer Review Action Plan, communications and technology.

Members noted West Berkshire’s Department for Transport highways performance rating, with papers presented to the meeting stating that West Berkshire is one of only three local highway authorities nationally in the highest performance tier.

The work supports the Council’s aim of listening and responding to local communities and using residents’ experiences and local knowledge to inform improvements to services and infrastructure.

Councillor Stuart Gourley, Chairman of the Highways Improvement Group, said: “We set up the Highways Improvement Group to create a stronger link between the concerns people raise with us and the work we do to improve our highways network.

“Our first meetings have already shown the value of bringing residents’ questions, local knowledge, councillors and highways officers together in one place.

“Not every issue will have a quick or simple solution, but what we can do is be open about the process, investigate the options and make sure there is a clear route for concerns to be raised and followed up.”

Residents can follow the work of the Highways Improvement Group, read meeting papers and find out how to submit a public question on the West Berkshire Council website.