Roundabout plants cut due to safety fears (From Basingstoke Gazette)
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Roundabout plants cut due to safety fears
3:00pm Tuesday 9th October 2012 in Local By Emily Roberts, Chief Reporter
PLANTS growing on a roundabout were chopped down because they were blocking views for drivers.
Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, with agreement from Hampshire County Council, also cut down bind-weed which was covering a piece of artwork in the middle of the roundabout on the A30 next to Sainsbury’s supermarket, in Hatch Warren.
The plants had been left to grow to such an extent they had made it dangerous for drivers.
The council cut the greenery right back to ground level to “make it safer and tidier and to rejuvenate the roundabout, allowing other plants to grow.”
robertspet8 says...
2:23pm Fri 12 Oct 12
Question 2 - what evidence do the council have that hacking down the vegetation will make it safer for drivers?
The Highways Agency has deliberately installed barriers at other roundabouts to reduce visibilty because the evidence is that when drivers cannot see they slow down. It is not lack of a view which causes accidents but inappropriate speed.
Question 3 - what other plants do they expect to grow? They have destroyed all the mature ground cover plants and now it will be weeds which are best able to take advantage of the opportunity.