Pendle councillors, including a fireman who has attended motorway accidents, are calling for an urgent safety review of the M65, including the return of lighting, after a number of fatal incidents in 2024.
Lib-Dem councillors Brian Newman and Mick Strickland, who works for Lancashire Fire & Rescue Service, put forward a motion calling for action at the latest full Pendle Council meeting.
They said the M65 handles around 75,000 journeys each day, which has risen by 15 per cent over ten years. But there has been a ‘spate ‘of major incidents in 2024 which included two deaths. They said the Highways England agency is considering the removal of all remaining lighting on the M65 and that flooding is also a significant concern, particularly on the section through Pendle.
In a vote, councillors from all sides backed their call for Pendle Council to write to National Highways, the county council, the Secretary of State for Transport and local MPs about the issues.
Brian Newman of Pendle Council
(Image: endle Council)
Coun Newman said: “The M65 conjures an image of disaster for people who use it. We have flooding. No lights. It ends abruptly at Colne. We have had a number of fatalities in recent times. The road is not fit for purpose.
“We need to get the authorities and MPs looking at the situation to bring some changes. We need to look at the concrete central barrier, which appears to be creating flooding, and perhaps look at the speed limits.”
Their motion called for:
- An urgent review of the general safety of the M65, ‘given the frequency of accidents’.
- Safety improvement assessments including, but not limited to, lighting.
- Opposition to any plan that would remove any remaining M65 lighting.
- Funding for a feasibility study and investment to bringback lighting to sections of the M65 where it has been removed
- Lancashire County Council to take effective action to mitigate the risk to road- users from flooding.
Mick Strickland of Pendle Council
(Image: Pendle Council)
Coun Strickland, speaking in his role as a councillor, said: “Sadly, I have had to deal with accidents on the M65 with the fire service. All the accidents I have attended have included flooding or lights as contributing factors. I think we really need to look at everything.”
He added: “In recent weeks I have driven from West Sussex to Lancashire. I cannot find any other stretch of motorway along that route where the same things have been done as has been done along the M65. We need to look at this again before we have more fatalities on the M65.”
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