THE installation of a special horse crossing in Portishead has prompted residents to ask why money has been spent on such a facility at a time when cuts are being made to valued services.
Two warning signs have been installed on the A369 Portbury Hundred where a bridlepath crosses the road. Horse riders can press a button to activate the solar-powered signs, which display orange flashing lights and a message to drivers to tell them horses are crossing.
Lorry driver Pete Holder of Greenfield Park says he uses Portbury Hundred every day of the week and has not seen one horse trying to cross the road in the past three years.
He said: “I am at a complete loss as to why, when North Somerset Council is turning off street lights and removing youth workers from their jobs to save money, it has decided to spend money installing a horse crossing.”
However, a North Somerset Council spokesman has confirmed the �17,000 sign was paid for using section 106 money, which is provided by housing developers as part of a planning development.
They also said the signs are intended to warn drivers only, not to give horse riders priority over vehicles.
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