A Fairlie safer roads petition was accepted by North Ayrshire Council as the community continues its bid for a 20mph limit in the village.

Over 20 villagers appeared in front of the council’s petitions committee, calling upon NAC to provide additional support towards their campaign, including helping to facilitate a meeting with Transport Scotland, and the setting up of a Freight Quality Partnership forum with Fergussons Coal.

The petition, signed by 622 residents, was proposed by local Labour councillor Alex Gallagher, and seconded by Robert Barr, as a round of applause went up in the council chamber from the Fairlie residents at Cunninghame House, Irvine, last Wednesday.

In presenting her case to the Petitions committee, campaign spokeswoman Caroline Briggs said: “I am here to talk about road safety in Fairlie - this is a matter of life and death - I personally have first hand experience of a family who have been victims of a road accident and have seen the horrific and long term consequences. Fairlie is a small village of 1400 residents and we are protesting about the unsafe nature of the long and narrow trunk road which cuts through the centre of our village, which is managed by Transport Scotland, which is an old road with very narrow pavements.

“The problem on our road has been precipitated by the industrial nature of the traffic that comes through our village. It can feel very frightening if you have young children, and I have to shout ‘back to the wall’, when there is passing lorries. In some cases, the pavements are too narrow, and there is approximately 15 lorries per hour from 4.30am until late in the evening.” Mrs Briggs also spoke emotively about ‘Valentines Day in 2013’ when local resident Catherine Bonner was killed whilst watching television when a lorry smashed into her house at Curneil Villas on Fairlie Main Road.

She said that from dawn to dusk residents were subjected to noise and dust pollution, and sleep cycles were being disrupted.

The local mum added: “This is not to mention the stress on the daily lives of residents in the village - people are not able to enjoy healthy lives, and feel safe while walking the streets, or cycling. This is impacting on physical and mental health.” Mrs Briggs said that the community believed that North Ayrshire Council had a ‘duty of care’ for the residents of Fairlie, and wanted ‘a reasonable compromise’ - they feel this could be reached by providing a 20mph limit through the village.

Mrs Briggs offered statistics from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents which show that there is a 97% chance of survival if struck by a vehicle at 20mph, 80% chance if 30mph, and 50% at 35 miles per hour, although pointed out that this was probably for a car, and not a lorry.

The campaigner also presented a vision to the committee of Fairlie as a role model for road safety, and said putting up welcoming signs, with various road traffic calming including the 20mph limit. She voiced the group’s support for Transport Scotland’s proposal to install new traffic lights which will turn red, and in effect, force speeders to slow down.

Members of Fairlie Community Council were also present at the council delegation.

Scrutiny committee member Cllr. Gallagher said he was 100% behind the Safer Roads campaign, and that he had put forward a motion backing a Fairlie bypass last year, but it was defeated. He said: “I would urge the committee to back this petition. I believe that a 20mph limit through Fairlie is common sense. I think it is absolutely on the button. As for the bypass now, I think it is a dream, and a long way off, if it ever happens.” Mrs Briggs said she felt it was in the best interests to try and set up a Freight Quality Partnership, where transport operators and local authorities come together to deal with the issues around freight access and deliveries in a particular location, and called for the council’s support in helping this progress.

The Safer Roads campaign called upon the council to chair a meeting between Transport Scotland and Fairlie to support the introduction of a 20mph scheme to the village, and formally write to Transport Minister Keith Brown endorsing the new speed limit.

After the meeting, Mrs Briggs said “I’d like to thank everyone for coming out in support of this with North Ayrshire Council. It was a great demonstration of community action that 20 people made time in their busy schedules to petition the Council. North Ayrshire Council were very receptive to our cry for help and I look forward to seeing the results of their support.”