A ROAD safety campaigner whose daughter was killed in a traffic accident has renewed his call for speed limits to be cut on a busy Wirral country road after a council panel rejected the idea.

Peter Mason launched a petition in March, just weeks after a serious collision on Brimstage Road in Heswall.

Signed by more than 300 people, it was part of a long-running campaign and presented to a meeting of Wirral council's cross-party highways and traffic representation panel who met this week.

After consideration of a report, councillors voted against the plea for a reduction.

Mr Mason told the Globe he believes it is only a matter of time before a motorist or pedestrian loses their life in a crash on that stretch of road and has launched a fresh petition calling on the council to reverse its decision.

A driver walked away uninjured after their car was written off as it was hit at the entrance of Brimstage Manor Nursing Home on January 10 while waiting to move onto Brimstage Road.

Repeating his call for the speed limit to be reduced Mr Mason, whose 14-year-old daughter Sandra died in a traffic accident near Clatterbridge Hospital in 1990, told the Globe: "Over recent years there has been increasing public concern regarding deaths and injuries on our roads, and legislation now require councils to take into account many factors other than just traffic flows.

"Thus many of the speed limits on Wirral’s roads have been reduced in recent years.

"The means of police enforcement of the speed limits should not be over-riding in determining the right decision for Brimstage Road."

Wirral Globe:

Peter Mason (fourth on right) pictured in March at the entrance of Brimstage Manor Nursing home with cyclist Ian Greenwood, Stephanie Williams and health care assistant Cheryl Templeman. Picture: Craig Manning

Mr Mason continued: "The present 50 mph speed limits misleads drivers into driving too fast especially in the vicinity of the junction with Whitehouse Lane, where poor lines of sight, narrow road widths and bends requires safe driving well below 50 mph.

"Over the years there have been many accidents and near misses in this area. In other parts of the road the bends are very sharp where driving above 40 mph would be very dangerous.

"The road users which include HGVs, wide vehicles, buses, cyclists, pedestrians, horses (and cattle crossings) are a potentially dangerous mix; therefore the Council has a legal duty to direct and protect road users including pedestrians."

He added that, in recent years, speed limits on adjacent roads have been reduced; highlighting the A540 Chester High Road, from unrestricted to 40mph, and two sections of Barnston Road, which have been reduced from 40mph to 30mph.

His concerns were echoed earlier this year by Stephanie Williamson, chief administrator at Brimstage Manor Nursing Home.

She said: "Most of our residents have dementia, and this is a secure unit, so they are quite safe and we never have fears of them wandering out of the building and onto the road.

"Our concern, however, is for the elderly visitors, who find themselves having to negotiate the dangerous road when arriving at and leaving the building.

"The driver of the car involved in the smash at the car park entrance on January 10 was very lucky not to have been injured.

"Next time, it could be a different story, which is why something needs to be done about the speed limit."

Wirral Globe:

Car that was written off after road traffic collision on Brimstage Road on January 10. Picture courtesy of Brimstage Manor Nursing Home

A council spokesperson told the Globe: "We believe that full consideration has been given to the concerns raised by residents about the speed limit on this section of Brimstage Road.

"This has concluded with the cross-party highways and traffic representation panel voting this week to accept the recommendation not to reduce the speed limit on this rural road.

"They noted that the speed limit on this road had been investigated, both by a panel of experts who undertook a wide-scale speed limit review in 2010/2011 and more recently by road safety officers, who carried out detailed analysis.

"The speed limit was reduced from 60mph to 50mph along the rural sections of this route in 2011 and this is still considered the appropriate maximum speed within the guidance set out by the Department for Transport."