Residents sick of street being used as a rat run - and fear traffic will only get worse

A damaged parked car from a crash in Berners Street Picture: MICHAEL STEWART (Image: Archant)

Michael Stewart, 60, says Berners Street has seen increasing traffic over the last decade and is considering moving out of the area due to the problems.

He said residents are getting tired of the constant near misses, lack of parking, damage to cars and incidents of road rage and wants to see traffic calming measures introduced, such as speed bumps, to slow down cars in the area. Berners Street was recently made a 20mph zone, but Mr Stewart said cars and lorries rarely stick to the limit.

“I have lived here for 14 years on and off and it just keeps getting worse and worse.

“Many people in the street have complained about it. “It is now 20mph but no one takes any notice, we need speed bumps.

“You still get people doing 40-50mph down here.

“Everyone down here is getting very frustrated with it.”

Mr Stewart said his car was crashed into last week, causing around £6,500 worth of damage and that he had recently been clipped by a car himself as he walked round a vehicle parked on the pavement.

Carol Woodcock, who also lives in the street, said her car has just been repaired after it was struck by a car in the road - the fourth time it has happened in five years.

“It’s just crazy,” she said, “Cars still tear down here.

“It’s a nightmare, we’re completely fed up with it.”

Jill Roberts, 80, who also lives in the street, said there were far too many vehicles using it as a through road.

“It would be better if the cars and lorries could find a better route,” she said.

A Suffolk Highways spokesman said: “We monitor traffic flow, management and safety on Suffolk’s highways which show that there has been steady increase in the volume of traffic through Ipswich in recent times, models suggest that this is likely to continue. In terms of accidents, Berners St is a very safe road with just one recorded road injury on the road itself, in the last five years. We do not currently have any plans for safety improvements on this particular street, but local residents are always welcome to raise any concerns by contacting us via www.suffolk.gov.uk/highways.”