Residents of a South London cul-de-sac say they are afraid to leave their own road, which they claim has become a hotspot for dangerous driving and repeated traffic collisions.
Following a recent collision at the junction that left one resident with a broken arm, they claim Merton Council has ignored safety concerns for years. However Merton has now agreed to look at potential safety upgrades but there is no clear timetable for when it will happen, and what precisely will be done.
Mike Circelli, who has campaigned alongside neighbours for years, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “My family were involved in a serious accident — they could have been killed. Does someone need to die before the council does anything about it?”
Residents of The Path, a cul-de-sac of 11 properties near South Wimbledon station, say the danger stems from the poor design of the junction at the end of their road, which opens directly onto the busy four-lane Morden Road. Residents told the LDRS that the inside lane towards South Wimbledon has limited visibility of vehicles emerging from The Path and the neighbouring Nelson Trading Estate, which share the same access point.
They say this encourages drivers to accelerate through the box junction to reach the traffic lights on the other side, often without seeing vehicles attempting to join the road.
Mike’s wife, Anna Circelli, broke her arm and suffered whiplash in a collision at the junction earlier this month. While she said she and her elderly mother were fortunate to avoid more serious injury, she now faces a long period away from her work as a hairdresser.
Mike said: “It’s the outside lane — you can’t see them coming, and they can’t see you trying to get out. They just zoom down to get to that one space. That’s how these accidents are happening.”
During a visit, the LDRS saw debris from a previous collision still scattered across the centre of the junction and witnessed several cars and vans appearing to speed through above the 20mph limit. At one point, our reporter had to step back to avoid an HGV that had mounted the kerb while attempting a three-point turn — another regular occurrence, residents say.
However, the LDRS understands that the council has ruled out extending the yellow box markings, saying this would conflict with traffic signal design standards and the operation of the stop line.
Fellow resident Eda Saliholu, who is learning to drive, said leaving her own road to reach the Morden test centre is often the most difficult part of her lessons. She said: “Every time my instructor picks me up, I have to turn right, and this junction is the most dangerous part of the whole lesson.
“When we get there, my instructor has to take over because I can’t get out of my own street. I start on a bad foot — it’s daunting.”
Regular commercial traffic entering the trading estate throughout the day only adds to the intimidation of the junction, she said. “For any learner like me, it’s the worst place to start, especially with lorries coming through that can’t see a small car.”
Derek Manning has lived on The Path since the 1990s, when Morden Road was just a two-lane highway. Having witnessed the changes over the years, he now believes it is no longer safe for the road users it serves.
“London has got busier, we all know that. But if traffic increases, you have to put measures in place to keep it as safe as it was before,” he said.
The box junction is supposed to keep road users safe, and encourage free flowing traffic. However, residents say it is frequently ignored, with drivers sitting in the yellow box when their exit is not clear, leaving them unable to join the road for long periods.
Despite raising their concerns with Merton Council, which is responsible for the junction, residents say little has been done to improve safety. “The council have known about the safety risks for many, many years,” Mike told the LDRS.
“It’s so dangerous every single day, and they have just ignored it.”
Local Liberal Democrat Councillor John Braithwaite has also called on the council to act, proposing a number of short-term solutions, including extending the box junction and repainting the cycle crossing to prevent cars covering it. However, he says the council has been slow to respond, insisting that a traffic officer must first assess the road — a measure residents themselves have requested.
Mike added: “If John can’t get through to them, then they are just not listening to us.”
Wimbledon’s Lib Dem MP Paul Kohler has also pressed the council to take action. Following calls for Merton to investigate collisions at the junction, he said the council has now confirmed plans for urgent changes.
“I have written to Merton to ensure there is no further delay and a clear timetable for delivery,” he told the LDRS.
The changes are expected to take place this year, after the council secured TfL funding to review traffic and safety at the junction of The Path and Morden Road. They told the LDRS that once the review is complete, they will work with TfL to implement the recommended improvements.
A spokesperson for Merton Council said: “Road safety is a top priority for Merton Council, and we take any situation where pedestrians and other road users could be put at risk very seriously. When residents or road users raise safety concerns, we always investigate and make safety improvements where possible.”
