Corby's George Street crossing putting 'public at risk' says deputy leader

The confusing crossing has seen several near misses according to Cllr Addison.

Labour’s Cllr Jean Addison says she wants to see improvement works done at the George Street crossing close to the busy taxi rank and opposite the Corby Cube because it is a danger to town centre users.

Speaking at the One Corby meeting earlier this month (Nov 6) Cllr Addison said: “We would like the George Street crossing to be improved. I think it is putting the public at risk. There have been so many near misses on that crossing.”

The wide crossing in the blue, white and grey stripes of the now scrapped Corby Walk scheme is confusing to pedestrians, who are unsure whether to cross as vehicles do not always stop.

Cllr Addison wants some improvement works to be done at the crossing opposite the Corby Cube.

The section of George Street where it is situated is subject to traffic restrictions which ban all vehicles except buses and taxis at certain times, but drivers often flout the law and use it at banned periods.

The authority was given £800,000 eight years ago by developer Greatline Developments, as part of the deal to buy the Tesco site land at St Marks Road. Many of the improvements have not yet happened, with the Corby Walk plan now scrapped, and so Cllr Addison has suggested that part of the money is spent on improvements at George Street.

At the meeting the council decided to hand over all of the 106 monies to the county council to spend on highways and cycle improvements for the town.

However, due to the authority not progressing with the Corby Walk plans, unless the money is all spent and work complete within two years the cash could have to be handed back to Greatline Developments.

This follows the council having to give back £79,000 to Tresham College because it did not spend the funds allocated for Corby Walk in time.

At the meeting the authority’s head of leisure Chris Stephenson said he was unsure why the money had not been spent and leader Tom Beattie said the same thing.

The council resolved to novate the money to the county council and assured it would keep an eye on the highways projects.

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