Stantonbury ward Labour Councillor Hannah Minns has persuaded Milton Keynes Council Cabinet to provide funding for a road safety scheme for St Leger Drive, Great Linford.

Residents have been raising the issue of speeding and road safety for many years. Recently Cllr Minns helped secure equipment for a Community Speedwatch programme where residents helped provide data on the problem.

The data collected by residents helped Cllr Minns persuade MK Council to start consulting on a 20mph speed limit for the road, however residents also highlighted the need for other physical changes that would be needed, especially a crossing by Falwell Court – a retirement home.

After hearing from residents, including community campaigner Emily Orchard, Cllr Minns and Emily raised the issue with the Labour Cabinet Member for Highways, Cllr Martin Gowans, before the Cabinet met last month to discuss the draft budget for next year. Cllr Minns spoke at the December Cabinet meeting to ask if consideration could be given to include money for a safety scheme at St Ledger Drive in the budget proposals.

After considering the request, the Cabinet agreed to include the £26,000 in the capital programme for consultation.

Cllr Hannah Minns, Stantonbury Ward, said: “I am delighted that after all the hard work of residents, we have been able to persuade the Cabinet to agree to including this funding in the capital funding proposals for next year. The residents of Great Linford have been expressing their concerns for a while about the road, I’m pleased something will now be done.”

Emily Orchard, community campaigner, said: “I know residents in the area have been raising this issue for some time and have some proposals, so I suggested to Hannah that we ask Cllr Gowans and the Cabinet if they’d consider funding the scheme. I’m glad they’ve agreed. It’s great Hannah was able to speak at Cabinet and raise this issue.”

Cllr Minns concluded: “Getting things done for the community you represent is why I wanted to be a councillor. Working with Emily to get across the concerns of the residents was helpful. I now hope that these draft proposals will be agreed in a few months and that all councillors will support this funding, or residents will rightly be asking why they don’t.”