FEARS for the safety of elderly people in Thornbury while crossing the road have been taken on by the town’s MP.

Residents and staff of Grace Lodge on Rock Street have spoken out after a series of near-misses while crossing the street to access nearby facilities including the doctors, chemist and library.

Ages range from 70 to 98-years-old, in the Churchill Retirement Living site, with many having mobility or vision constraints, making it difficult to make the journey down the street to the crossing at Aldi.

Instead many have no alternative but to brave the traffic and cross directly outside the lodge.

But concerns over motorists regularly ignoring the 30mph limit on the stretch have prompted staff to call for traffic calming measures, such as a crossing or speed bumps, to be installed.

Elizabeth and Alan Cross, 81 and 82, who live at Grace Lodge, told the Gazette that they regularly experienced difficulties in getting around due to Alan’s large wheelchair, and that when crossing the road, it “can’t just take off.”

Elizabeth said: “If you are wanting to go over to the doctors on St Mary Street, short of going all the way down to Aldi and back, which will take us quite a long time, you have to cross outside, which is taking your life into your own hands.”

Phyllis Penfold, 88, who suffers with impaired vision and guides herself with a stick, added that she found drivers often failed to signal when turning at the junctions either side of the lodge, giving pedestrians a false sense of security as they go to cross.

Lodge manager Catherine Lockett said: “You do sometimes get gracious drivers who stop and let them pass, but you cannot rely on that every time you want to go out.

“Our residents are all very active with even our oldest couples going out regularly for walks, but with many having walking aides or are partially sighted, it can be a challenge even to make it all the way down to Aldi.”

Having decided safety concerns were becoming too high, staff wrote to Thornbury and Yate MP Luke Hall, who visited Grace Lodge last Friday.

After speaking to the residents and hearing their concerns, Mr Hall said that he felt the risks to the people from Grace Lodge “were clear.”

“Even as we arrived here I saw cars driving past easily in excess of 50mph,” he said.

“A number of people speaking to me today have used the same phrase - that it is an accident waiting to happen - and I am inclined to agree.”

He said that he would be writing to South Gloucestershire Council and to Churchill to see if funding could be made available to install a zebra crossing.

“Churchill have done a good job with delivering this site, but there is still a problem that needs fixing.”

A spokeswoman for Churchill Retirement Living said: “We understand that Grace Lodge’s owners are concerned about traffic conditions and are happy to speak to Mr Hall about how best to address the situation.”

While a letter from the MP was yet to be received by South Gloucestershire Council, a spokesman said that any concerns raised would be considered by their transport services team.

He said: “Any potential new crossing would need to be assessed by considering pedestrian and vehicle counts, an accident assessment and scheme justification. If found to be a viable scheme, it will be costed, prioritised and added to our local transport priority lList, which is subject to available funding.”