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Accident fears as cemetery is used as a short cut

17/ 1/2008

PAYING your respects at a graveside should be a peaceful experience. But mourners at a Manchester cemetery are being disturbed by impatient motorists who are using the graveyard as a short-cut.

By nipping through Southern Cemetery, Chorlton, drivers can travel between Nell Lane and Barlow Moor Road without stopping at traffic lights - thereby shaving a few minutes off their journey.

But the short-cut, which has been slammed as ‘disrespectful’, has led to fears that a cemetery visitor could be injured.

And now speed restriction signs are to be installed in the cemetery in a bid to deter motorists who are seeking a speedy route home. Coun Norman Lewis, who lives close to the cemetery, said: "As soon as drivers see the way is clear they put their foot down.

"I am in that cemetery practically every day and I see cars coming through. Fortunately I don’t think anyone has ever been injured, but I am concerned that this is just an accident waiting to happen.

"When people are there to pay their respects the last thing that they want to happen is a car coming around the corner."

Coun Lewis, a Liberal Democrat, was among councillors who raised concerns about the cut-through at the meeting of the communities and neighbourhoods scrutiny committee.

He said: "It’s about time these signs were put up because you often see cars and taxi drivers going far too fast through there.

"Common sense and decency should tell drivers not to speed through a cemetery, but unfortunately some drivers do use the road as a speedy cut-through from Barlow Moor Road to Nell Lane."

The decision to erect the speed signs has been taken more quickly than originally planned.

Coun Mike Amesbury, responsible for cemeteries, said: "We’re putting speed limit signs up in cemeteries across the city as part of a planned programme of improvements, which includes work to make the cemeteries safe places to visit.

"We hope the signs will help encourage drivers who drive too fast through cemeteries to slow down and treat them with appropriate respect.

"The signs in Southern Cemetery would have been going up soon anyway but they will go up a bit sooner than planned after the issue of drivers taking short-cuts through there was raised by a number of councillors at a council scrutiny committee meeting."

The decision has been welcomed by cemetery users.

Lianne Williams, who is a member of the Friends of Southern Cemetery, said: "Driving at speed through the cemetery is dangerous and inconsiderate to the bereaved and visitors to the cemetery. Let's hope that the new signs will make people think twice before they put their foot down."