Speed fears after car crashes in Church Lane

By John Lawrence
A car travelling down Church Lane – a major route between East End Road and the High Road – went out of control and crashed into the walls and gardens of three houses.

Residents heard an enormous crash like an explosion at 8.30pm on Wednesday 9 January. They rushed outside to see the uninjured driver attempting unsuccessfully to manoeuvre his Mini Cooper out of the mess.
The force of the crash sent bricks hurtling against the front door of 27 Church Lane and wrecked walls, gates and shrubs in the gardens of two neighbouring houses.

Downhill speed
People living in Church Lane and parents at nearby Martin Primary School say the incident raises serious concerns about the safety of the road. They are calling on Barnet Council to introduce traffic calming measures urgently.
They claim it is too easy for drivers to pick up speed coming down the hill from the bridge over the railway line, and then to lose control at a point where the road narrows and bends at the junction with King Street, immediately prior to the scene of this latest crash.

Risk to pedestrians
Jane Higgison, who lives at no 27, said: “I was sitting in the front room at the time. There was a huge bang and bricks came flying against my front door. That time of the evening is still busy for pedestrians along here but if anyone had been walking on the pavement at the time, they wouldn’t have stood a chance.”

Ruth Brown, a parent and former governor at Martin Primary School, said many families walk along this stretch of road to get to and from school. The school’s first Travel Plan asked for Church Lane to be made a 20mph zone with road humps but, in response, the council only widened some of the pavements to give pedestrians more room. Ruth said this failed to tackle the real issue which she believes is speed, although this has not been proved to be a factor in this incident.

Councillor Matthew Offord, cabinet member for transport and environment, said the council was looking into the causes of the crash. He said: “Once we know the facts behind this incident, we will be able to make a judgment and carry out any changes that may be necessary to the road. The council takes road traffic safety extremely seriously.”

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