Residents of Hillbury Road and Tithepit Shaw Lane in Whyteleafe have a presented a petition to Surrey County Council demanding a review of safety issues in the stretch of Hillbury Road between the railway bridge and the junction with Tithepit Shaw Road. Residents highlighted the following concerns:

Hillbury Road is, increasingly, becoming part of a chosen route, not only for traffic to Warlingham and Sanderstead, but also - because of congestion on the A22 - for Croydon and beyond.

The portion of Hillbury Road between the railway bridge and the junction with Tithe Pit Shaw Lane has cars parked on one side. Residents must be permitted to park here because there is little off-street parking, but this makes the road too narrow to accommodate two way traffic properly.

Traffic coming down the hill often approaches the bend in the road at excessive speed and having taken the bend, encounters the stretch of road that is too narrow to accommodate traffic moving in both directions.

Large vehicles, including lorries, regularly use Hillbury Road. When travelling uphill and encountering traffic moving towards them, they have to mount the kerb and drive on an extremely narrow path in order to pass, creating a danger for pedestrians.

There is no safe crossing point in the stretch of Hillbury Road above the bridge. This road is frequently crossed by people walking to school or to Whyteleafe Recreation Ground. Visibility for crossing pedestrians, looking uphill towards the bend in the road, is very poor.

Residents are demanding that County Highways makes a thorough assessment of safety that covers all of the points raised above, and that, on the completion of the survey, remedial action is taken to alleviate the dangers. They feel very strongly that action should be taken now in response to the hazards and the clear threat to safety, and not later in response to the serious injury or death of a child or any other person using this road.

The response of County Highways included the following words:

Hillbury Road is on a list of over 60 proposed schemes for highway improvements in Tandridge. The schemes are reviewed each year and are prioritised based on technical evidence. Tandridge Local Committee is scheduled to review this list of priorities in summer 2009.

Comment from Jeffrey Gray, Lib Dem District Councillor for Whyteleafe:

"I have supported Hillbury Road residents in the drafting of their petition and in their efforts get their views taken seriously. The response they have received certainly doesn’t reflect the seriousness or urgency that the situation in Hillbury Road deserves, but at least it offers some way forward. We are holding the promised review date in our memory banks and we will be there when it comes, reminding County of the strength of feeling as expressed in the petition and calling for the them to put Hillbury Road as close to the top of the list of priorities as possible."