Rotherham estate residents say they 'live in fear' after crashes

Families on a Rotherham estate say they fear that someone will be badly injured or killed after a spate of crashes.

According to residents on the Waverley estate, some junctions were dangerous due to a lack of markings and signs.

In one recent incident, a van crashed into a house after colliding with a car at an unmarked junction.

Developer the Harworth Group said all highways and junctions on the estate had been designed and constructed to meet all national highway requirements.

But local resident Jennifer Chaggar said the lack of markings had led to numerous crashes in recent months.

She said she was concerned for her daughter's safety going to and from school.

"I worry every single day that she is actually going to get there safely and come back without being hurt," she added.

According to residents, there have been at least six crashes in recent months and scores of near misses

Aparna Maruvada shared her concerns, and said she had stopped her children playing out in the front garden.

"They can't cross the road here to go to the park because of the accidents and drivers speeding," she added.

"We live in constant fear every day."

Another resident criticised the developer, saying it had done the bare minimum to comply with the regulations.

"My understanding is they have built it to highways standards, but it feels like that is a baseline," he told the BBC.

"A bit of common sense should have been included in the design process," he added.

Aerial view of an unmarked junction on the estate

The developer said it had commissioned an assessment of traffic activity across all junctions along Highfield Lane, and was now implementing a number of recommendations, including putting in signage and road markings.

It said it would also look at measures to "manage driver behaviour" after the assessment found one in 10 drivers were speeding through the estate.

Paul Woodcock, Rotherham Council's strategic director for regeneration and environment, said: "We are saddened to hear about the accidents that have taken place at Waverley. The road in question is in fact not a council-owned highway and is instead managed by the developer of the estate."