New £50,000 roadworks to start in bid to stop drifting boy racers causing misery to Peterborough residents

A £50,0000 plan to stop boy racers drifting on a Peterborough street will see speed bumps and cushions installed.

The scheme will focus on Stapledon Road in Orton Southgate, where dangerous anti-social driving has caused misery for residents living near-by. There have also been a number of incidents where people attending the events have been injured.

Residents, business owners and councillors have been calling for action to be taken to stop the road being used by the drifters for many years – and next month work will start on the new scheme.

The roadworks will cost around £50,000 and will be funded from the Department for Transport.

The scheme will involve the installation of speed reduction ramps and speed cushions designed to slow vehicles down and prevent drivers from being able to drift.

Councillor Marco Cereste, cabinet member for climate change, planning, housing and transport at Peterborough City Council, said: “This is a classic case of ‘you said, we did’. Residents and the wider community have been complaining about the actions of a few who are car drifting in this area. Their concerns around safety and noise , particularly in the evenings, were very valid.

“We are pleased to say that we have allocated funding to deliver a road safety scheme which, alongside additional parking measures, will deter the car drifting from happening. The work starts at the end of June and is expected to last three weeks, finishing at the end of July.”

Earlier this year a woman was seriously injured at a drifting event when she was struck by a car in Stapledon Road.

And in 2016 a man was jailed for 18 months after a number of people were seriously injured when he lost control of his car at a drifting event in the road.

Following the latest incident, Peterborough City Councillors called for action to tackle the problems, before someone else was hurt – with cllr Christian Hogg saying the problem was ‘out of control.’

Earlier this month Cllr Julie Howell, who represents the Orton Waterville ward, revealed the funding for the works had been secured, saying: “Local business people have suffered enough. Local residents have suffered enough.”