Villagers in Sidlow have made an emotional plea for safer crossings on the A217 after warning it is “only a matter of time” before another fatal accident occurs.

But the council have knocked it back because it does not meet high-priority criteria.

A petition signed by 109 residents was heard by Surrey County Council ’s cabinet member for Highways on December 16, calling for a pedestrian crossing and a 30mph speed limit where Reigate Road cuts through the village at Ironsbottom.

Residents say the fast, busy road effectively splits Sidlow in two – cutting homes off from bus stops, the church, footpaths and other village facilities – and forcing people to either risk crossing or give up on village life altogether.

Helen Wilkinson at a Cabinet Member for Highways Decision Meeting. (Credit: Surrey County Council webcast)

placeholder image — Helen Wilkinson at a Cabinet Member for Highways Decision Meeting. (Credit: Surrey County Council webcast)

“The A217 slices through our village,” petitioner Helen Wilkinson told the meeting. “Residents are having to give up on these amenities or take the risk of crossing the road and it is a risk.” She described elderly residents sprinting across the road, schoolchildren using bus stops on both sides, and limited sight lines around the Ironsbottom junction making even turning vehicles vulnerable to collisions.

The petition cites a history of serious accidents on the stretch of road, including the death of a schoolchild crossing near the church, a Reigate College student left with lifelong brain injuries, and a young father killed on a bend nearby. More recently, residents pointed to multiple crashes recorded on the Crash Map UK website, including a severe collision in October 2024 that closed the road and required fire crews to cut a casualty from their car.

“These are my neighbours, not statistics,” Ms Wilkinson said. “It’s not a question of if there will be another serious accident. It’s a question of when and who.”

In response, cabinet member Matt Furniss acknowledged residents’ concerns but said the site does not currently meet the council’s criteria for a funded pedestrian crossing.

He told the meeting that police data showed three personal injury collisions on the 40mph section of the A217 through Sidlow over the most recent three-year period. Cllr Furniss said none of these occurred at the Ironsbottom junction, and none where speed was recorded as a contributory factor.

“Although any one collision is one too many,” he said, “this does not represent a very large problem in terms of road casualties compared to many other sites across Surrey.”

Council officers also confirmed that options such as a pedestrian island or alternative crossing had been explored during a site visit, but the road was not wide enough to safely accommodate them. However, Surrey County Council said it would take the next step by carrying out speed surveys on the road in March 2026 to assess whether a signed-only reduction to 30mph would be viable.

If average speeds are found to be above 36mph, traffic calming and additional street lighting would be required. These measures would significantly increase costs and are unlikely to be supported on a key A-class road. Surrey’s principal traffic and commissioning engineer told residents their concerns were “very much understood” and would continue to be reviewed once speed data is available.

While disappointed, residents welcomed the commitment to speed monitoring but stressed that reducing speeds alone would not solve the problem. “Adding a crossing of any kind would be life-changing for our community,” Ms Wilkinson said. “Anything would be better than nothing.”

The speed survey results are expected to be shared with residents in spring next year, after which the council will decide what, if any, further measures are possible.