CONCERNED Middlewich residents fear an accident is waiting to happen after an eight foot fence was erected in Warmingham Lane, blocking the pavement.

As reported in the Guardian, diggers have started work to construct a detention tank in Chadwick Road field in a bid to end the town’s 30 year flooding nightmare.

A steel fence has now been put up around the compound for safety reasons but residents say the height and positioning of the fence means visibility for motorists is dramatically reduced.

“I definitely think they’ll be an accident,” said Michelle Brown, of Livingstone Way.

“You have to edge right into the middle of the road just to see traffic coming from the right.”

After a public outcry, contractors for United Utilities built a temporary walkway for pedestrians on Thursday.

But before that, there were fears that someone could be hit by a car as pupils had been seen walking on the road rather than crossing over to the pavement.

Michelle was worried about her 12-year-old daughter Natasha who catches a bus to school in Warmingham Lane at 7.30am each day.

Before the walkway was constructed, the 35-year-old added: “The council is encouraging people to walk but it’s too dangerous.

“If you had a speed camera here you’d catch vehicles doing 40 or 50mph. If they hit a child, they would be dead instantly.

“My neighbour with a double buggy can’t walk her children to school.

“United Utilities has not thought about it properly or safely for people wanting to cross the road or motorists.”

Middlewich Clean Team has also raised concerns about the perimeter fence describing it as a ‘hazard’.

Christian Ewen, spokesman for United Utilities, said: “This is an issue we are aware of and we would like to assure local residents that we are in discussions with the council to implement a solution as quickly as possible.

“We have complied from the outset with all constraints set down by the council’s planning and highways legislation.

“However, as concerns have been raised by the local community in regards to the safety of pedestrians we have acted swiftly in conjunction with the local authority to put an interim pedestrian walkway in place.

“Our discussions with the council will continue - with a view to establishing suitable alternative arrangements as a matter of urgency.”

Clr Simon McGrory, of Middlewich Town Council, told the Guardian a ‘workable solution’ has been reached to reinstate the footpath by around next weekend, He added: “With the timescale involved little things have got missed including simple aspects of road safety.

“This is a multi-million pound scheme being undertaken to stop the flooding that has blighted numerous houses in the town.

“I would ask everyone to be tolerant of the work needed and I am extremely confident that everyone is working with residents interests at heart.