ANGRY Burnham MP David Heathcoat-Amory has slammed a move not to introduce safety measures on a notorious Berrow road where a 12-year-old boy was knocked off his bike this week.

Mr Heathcoat-Amory criticised Somerset County Council for dropping planned measures for a stretch of Coast Road, where a boy was in collision with a car on Sunday evening.

The 12-year-old was taken to hospital with minor injuries after the collision, which happened at about 6.30pm.

Campaigners had long argued for a footpath and cycleway along the busy road from Berrow to Brean, claiming the heavy traffic was an accident waiting to happen.

But Somerset County Council scrapped the proposed changes in February, saying designs did not conform to Local Transport Plan criteria.

Mr Heathcoat-Amory, who has campaigned for a safer Coast Road, told the Weekly News: "How many more accidents does there have to be before the council wakes up and acts?

"I've been warning about this - it is a dangerous road, particularly coming up to holiday season. "Most of Coast Road has a combined footpath and cycle path, but this stretch has neither.

"It is extremely dangerous because when a car is passing by a cyclist there is just no room. You also get caravans and buses, which try to pass as well.

"All the preliminary hard work has been done so it is not as though it would take time. I'm exasperated by this."

A Somerset County Council spokesman told the Weekly News the criteria for assessing the suitability of schemes, such as the alterations to Coast Road, had been revised.

The spokesman said no changes to Coast Road are included in the council's current construction programme, but he also stressed the proposal originally included a footpath for the road and not a cycle path.

9:11am Thursday 27th March 2008

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