Campaigners are calling for a “dangerous” road in St Ives to be reduced to 30mph due to safety fears over speeding from lorries and boy racers.

Residents from London Road stood with “Speed Kills” placards on Saturday morning (August 14) to urge drivers to slow down.

It comes after months of “fear” from people walking or cycling with their children on the main route into town.

Marie Rose, who has lived in the area for 17 years, is urging the county council to reduce the speed limit of the road from 40mph to 30mph.

The Hunts Post: Local residents gather on London Road St Ives in order to highlight their campaign to lower the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph.Local residents gather on London Road St Ives in order to highlight their campaign to lower the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph. (Image: London Road Campaign)

She explained: “You can see the fear on the faces of people trying to cross the road as big lorries come hurtling past not even sticking to the 40mph speed limit.

“Some have children in pushchairs and dogs and it just feels dangerous.

“I’ve had people tell me that they would love to get out and walk more but they are too frightened to walk on that road with their children.

“Another man told me that he can’t open his window because of the noise and constant boy racers and lorries.

“I dread to think how it would feel as a cyclist, too.

The Hunts Post: Local residents gather on London Road St Ives in order to highlight their campaign to lower the speed limit from 40 to 30mph.Local residents gather on London Road St Ives in order to highlight their campaign to lower the speed limit from 40 to 30mph. (Image: London Road Campaign)

“In recent years there’s been a lot of new shops and housing developments and they all use the road, so obviously traffic and lorries have increased.”

Marie circulated a petition in recent weeks and gained support from both Fenstanton and Hemingford Grey parish councils.

“We have felt forgotten, as a lot of the surrounding areas have a 30mph speed limit,” she continued.

“We are a really nice community here; everyone says they love living here but they feel very vulnerable.

“My ambition is to make it a tree-lined road with a welcome sign to St Ives demonstrating our commitment to the area.”

A lorry fire on the road in December 2020 also re-enforced the concerns of local people of the number of HGVs that use the stretch.

The Hunts Post: Lorry fire on London Road in St Ives December 2020.Lorry fire on London Road in St Ives December 2020. (Image: Archant)

“It was really terrible and made us question ‘why is there no restrictions to what is being driven down here’?

“Everyone was shaken by it; it was as if a big bomb had gone off,” Marie added.

A Cambridgeshire County Council spokesperson said: “Communities can take action to fund a change to a speed limit through the Local Highway Improvement scheme (LHI) which gives local people around Cambridgeshire an opportunity to bid for county council cash for highways projects which will improve their community.

“Applications are assessed once a year by an advisory panel of county councillors.

"The panel takes into account the views of parish councils and district councillors before it makes its recommendation to the county council on how to allocate the available funding.

“Further details on LHI can be found via the link below: https://www.cambridgeshire.gov.uk/residents/travel-roads-and-parking/roads-and-pathways/improving-the-local-highway/local-highway-improvement-funding.”