Cranfield Parish Road Safety Assessment

Cranfield Parish Council aims to improve road safety in the village through the introduction of targeted and effective interventions.

Take Survey

Introduction

Cranfield Parish Council, in collaboration with transport and road safety specialists Ethos, has undertaken a comprehensive assessment of road safety conditions throughout the village. This work has culminated in a detailed feasibility report, which identifies a range of potential interventions to address key traffic and safety concerns raised by the community.

Following a careful review of the report, the Parish Council has selected a set of interventions it believes are both practical and effective in tackling the issues most affecting residents. These prioritised measures are now the subject of this public consultation.

The support of the community is essential. Although the interventions have been shaped by local knowledge and expert analysis, they must ultimately be delivered by Central Bedfordshire Council, the local highway authority. To move forward, the Parish Council must demonstrate that the proposals are widely supported by residents.

We therefore invite you to read the information provided on this consultation page and complete the accompanying survey. It should take no more than five minutes to complete unless you wish to leave more detailed comments.

Ethos Road Safety Assessment

Ethos was commissioned to identify key road safety issues in Cranfield through site visits, data analysis, and stakeholder engagement. The main issues identified included:

• Excessive traffic speeds entering and travelling through the village;
• Increased pressure from new residential and commercial developments;
• Deteriorating road surface and faded markings;
• Verge parking and obstruction of footways;
• Poor pedestrian accessibility in some areas.

After undertaking a detailed assessment within Cranfield , and understanding the main traffic and road safety issues, the following road safety interventions have been considered suitable for implementation.

These road safety interventions were shared with the Parish Council for review in our report which can be found here.

Role of Cranfield Parish Council

The Parish Council has undertaken a detailed review of the proposed interventions and prioritised those it considers most appropriate, balancing community benefit with feasibility and cost. The Council has carefully assessed various combinations of interventions to maximise impact within an initial working budget of £25,000.

At its meeting on 17 April 2025, the Parish Council agreed to proceed to consultation on the preferred interventions.

Next steps

• Community consultation: Your feedback will help shape which measures are taken forward.
• Engagement with Central Bedfordshire Council: The Parish Council will present the supported proposals to Central Bedfordshire Council for implementation.

Your participation in this consultation is vital to ensuring that Cranfield’s roads become safer, more accessible, and better suited to the needs of all who live, work, and travel in the village.