Hucknall Councillor pays tribute to local mother killed in traffic collision last year and speaks out on road safety in the town

A Hucknall Councillor has paid tribute to a local mother, who died as a result of a road collision in the town in November.

Speaking on a debate about road safety at a full meeting of Nottinghamshire County Council yesterday (Thursday 20 January), Ashfield Independent Councillor John Wilmott, who represents Hucknall North, described the death of 77-year-old Kathleen Hinsely as 'tragic'.

He said: "The accident on Annesley Road in Hucknall in November was tragic.

"It's quite right that road safety should be a priority and I welcome a feasibility study into reducing the speed limits in residential areas. A fitting tribute would be to ensure that our roads in Hucknall become safer and no other families are so severely impacted."

"If there is one subject that keeps occurring time after time after time it's the issue of speeding cars in and around roads across Hucknall.

"Now something has to be done and we can start with a speed limit of 20 miles per hour on our residential roads, outside of schools and near where children are playing. This has to be taken seriously."

Councillors voted unanimously in favour of a motion which resolved to task the Transport and Environment Committee with "exploring the feasibility" of implementing a 20mph speed limit on some residential roads.

The Ashfield Independents did bring forward an amendment to the motion to acknowledge that the enforcement of speed restrictions is "poor", and that policing is stretched in the county. However, the motion was criticised and voted against by 47 councillors.

Councillor Tom Hollis (Ashfield Ind), who put forward the amendment, later described the decision as being like "providing a lovely hot meal to somebody and not giving them a knife and fork".

Speaking after the meeting, Councillor Wilmott said: "Whilst I am pleased that the County Council are taking steps to make our roads safer – it's disappointing that the Conservatives and Labour voted against our call for the police to put more resources into traffic enforcement.

"Road safety is a huge issue in Hucknall and the County Council needs to work hand in hand with the police to reduce accidents. It's time Hucknall's roads and our many estates were stopped being used as racetracks."