MOTORISTS using a village route will have to change their driving habits after a safety scheme was given the go-ahead.

A range of measures to improve road safety and reduce the risk of accidents will be introduced to Hollins Lane and Parr Lane (north) in Hollins village.

Members of Whitefield and Unsworth area board backed the scheme at a meeting on Monday evening (Sept 13) and requested a weight restriction to be added to the measures.

Residents complained about the number of HGVs using the village as a cut-through as a result of the proximity of Pilsworth industrial park.

Initially, the response was that the police would not support a weight restriction but with the backing of Police Inspector David Jones, who was at the meeting, road safety engineer Ken Asquith said he would look again at the issue and report the comments back to the borough engineer.

It was suggested the weight restriction could be introduced with the exception of buses, as it was a designated bus route.

The road safety measures approved by councillors include: buff anti-skid surfacing on the approaches to the mini-roundabout at the junction of Sunnybank Road and Parr Lane; the provision of Textureflex surfacing along Hollins Lane/Parr Lane and in conjunction with school crossing patrol locations; the provision of a pedestrian refuge near to the junction of Castle Road; chevron bend warning signs on the corner of Hollins Lane near to Sykes Avenue.

The introduction of a scheme follows research by Bury Council on the safety history of the road.

In a three-year period from 2000 to 2002, a total of nine accidents with injuries were recorded. This resulted in 15 casualties, one of which was a serious injury involving a child pedestrian.

Three of the casualties were pupils from Castlebrook High School, which is situated in Parr Lane, and a further accident involved a child pedal cyclist.

Consultation packages were sent to 135 properties, including the school, and 47 responses were returned. Of those, 35 were supportive and 12 were against the measures proposed.

Coun Derek Boden said: "In view of the results of the consultation, I think we should approve this scheme. I also think a weight restriction should be introduced with the exception of buses."