Calling for safety on Walton Road, Wavendon village
Why increase safety
Intro para summarising the need for safety
What is the status now? [Feb 2026]
The Wavendon road safety group is a group of Wavendon residents (from the length of Walton Road, plus other village roads/areas) who have come together to press the authorities to implement appropriate safety measures in Wavendon Village. We became concerned about safety on Walton Road in particular several years ago and raised concerns with the local authority – Milton Keynes City Council, Wavendon Parish Council and the Ward Councillors.
Since then, things have moved on very slowly. MKCC Highways Dept. has held a couple of open meetings with the ‘village’ and is intending to conduct a formal consultation on possible measures to improve safety.
Public consultation. We originally thought the consultation would occur around the end of 2024 – but here we are in early 2026 with no firm plan yet. When it does happen we will help to publicise this event, try to provide some assessment and of course, encourage villagers to respond to it whatever their viewpoint. Again – please see ‘latest news’.
Temporary traffic signs. In late autumn 2025 MKCC implemented, as a temporary measure, a pair of live traffic warning signs on the approaches to the double bend. However, residents quickly spotted that these were not functioning correctly and provided evidence (videos and logs) to MKCC. Although some ‘tuning’ changes were made, the council has admitted that the signs are not completely working as intended and is looking at making major changes (such as introducing extra sensors). It is the opinion of many people, including the Wavendon PC, that the signs are misleading and therefore present a hazard to road users.
Shambles. Although these signs were touted as ‘temporary’ the inability of MKCC to get them correctly working does not give us any confidence going forward. It has only been because of the vigilance of residents that MKCC is now aware of the issues. Add the fact that the MKCC Cabinet Member (a senior councillor) has not found the time or urgency to visit the site at all, let alone at an appropriate time, which is a shame because we believe it needs experiencing first hand.
We now expect that the public consultation will launch in the early spring of 2026.
This page will be used by the group to make information available to villagers. Check back frequently for updates on it. [updated Jan 2026]
The school-day rush
These videos were taken on school days. They show how much traffic there can typically be, as well as how the car have to pass each other and what pedestrians have to put up with.
What’s happening? It’s been a long story!
Jan 2026: The residents group has continued to monitor the functioning of the traffic signs. We have shared clear video of them not properly or completely working. They fail to consistently pick up pedestrians or vehicles leaving the various driveway along the bend. This presents a danger to residents and drivers passing though. The Council stated very clearly that the signs would work perfectly in these scenarios. They do not. The videos have been passed to the contractors to see whether further tuning of the signs or even additional sensors are needed to bring the signs up to scratch.
Nov 2025: The Council installed two active linked traffic signs. We were originally told that this was a temporary solution – but we are not so sure! Residents and passers-by noticed immediately that the signs did not completely work (and the ‘rules’ have not been explained to residents). The residents group monitored and videoed the signs over lengthy periods and provided this to the Council. The Council thanked us for this and at least one ‘tuning’ session by the contractors followed. But the signs still did not completely work. Residents continued to press the shortcomings with MKCC as well as Wavendon Parish Council who in turn stressed the need to MKCC.
July 2025: A residents (and nearby community) petition of over 200 signatures was presented to MKCC at full council meeting by Wavendon PC Chair David Hopkins. The petition asked that the Council undertake the long promised public consultation on appropriate safety measures. Residents also posed formal questions at the council meeting. More than 20 residents also attended the public part of the meeting to show support for the petition. The campaign had also contacted local and regional media which resulted in coverage on BBC Look East, MK Citizen and a live interview as well as vox pop on BBC Radio Three Counties.
June 2025: Latest analysis of traffic data shows that the morning school day peak time traffic through the double-bend is in the region of the 400 vehicles mark. This correlates with the increase we have seen this year at our roadside counts. This is what pedestrians and cyclists have to contend with. We have run out of patience waiting for MKCC, so we are compiling a PETITION of signatures from local residents. It asks that the council promptly hold the CONSULTATION that they promised the village OVER A YEAR AGO. Please look out for someone tapping on your door inviting you to sign the petition. The petition is not asking for any particular measure – just that they hold the broad consultation as promised. There has been a DELAY in implementing the INTERIM MEASURE for the double-bend, apparently some components are not available and MKCC is talking to other potential providers. We do not expect any action on this for several months.
April 2025: We have had a long wait for MKCC Highways dept to release the ‘informal’ consultation. Back in February the Council said that they had a two-part plan (1) implement an interim measure on the double-bend within four weeks and (2) initiate the consultation within two months. However not much has been heard since then! The ‘interim measure’ will be an electronic system of sensors and signage on the approaches to the double bend to alert drivers and pedestrians to cars or people in the road. The residents on the bend obtained the plans for this, assessed it and gave feedback to the council (plus Ward councillors and WPC), and further clarifications were made by Highways. However we do not know how the success of this scheme will be monitored and assessed. There is no further news on the matter of the full consultation. We also understand that the Council is still waiting to see if it will be granted the appropriate powers to be able to control traffic through ANPR means. Having pressed the council further, we are imminently expecting (late April) the MKCC ‘cabinet member’ for road safety to visit the site – although this will not be at peak time, so the fact remains that no-one is actual high authority has bothered to witness conditions during peak period.
A simple village road – the highway to nowhere!
Walton Road in Wavendon is a simple village road constructed long before the area was a great centre of population. It is narrow and has a notorious blind double-bend and of course such a road layout would never be designed or built in modern times. Over the past few years the explosion of new housing surrounding Wavendon, the increase in general east-west traffic and occasional problems on the main roads and major roundabouts have added to the pressure on Walton Road. With more housing still being built and planned for the area far into the future, the pressure of over-use will just grow and grow. At the same time increasing numbers of pedestrians, leisure walkers, cyclists and schoolchildren are using Walton Road – a trend that is to be encouraged and which is of course wholly compatible with general life in the rest of Milton Keynes (redways, leisure paths etc). However, the safety of these people is threatened on a daily basis by the increasing number (and behaviour) of cars, delivery vehicles and trucks. The pinch-point of all of this is of course the blind double-bend at the west end of Walton Road – a bend so notorious that major company John Lewis recently filmed a driver training video on it! Because Milton Keynes is so well structured and planned, it is well-known where and when major developments such as housing will take place and 3,000 houses are likely to appear ‘east of Wavendon’ as part of the Council’s expansion plan. This means the increase in pressure on Walton Road can be clearly foreseen and there is absolutely no reason why it cannot be strategically dealt with now.
Daily experiences
Many road users such as cyclists, Many road users such as cyclists, pedestrians, parents walking children to school and nursery have told us about their experiences with near misses or unsafe or inconsiderate or even dangerous behaviour from car and truck drivers (e-scooters too!) on Walton Road and especially the blind double-bend. In fact we have kept a log over the last year or so and shared this with the Council. Here are just a few of the comments.
What’s the problem?
What’s the problem? – A good question …. and simply answered – Walton Road has become unsafe and this basically boils down to too much motor traffic and the fact that the majority of drivers ignore the speed restrictions. There is no footpath on the already narrow blind double bend and drivers do not give enough regard to pedestrians and cyclists. Over the last decades Walton Road in Wavendon has come to be used more and more as a cut-through, motor traffic has greatly increased as has its use by pedestrians, leisure walkers, cyclists and school children. Walton Road was never constructed to take ever increasing volumes of traffic, it is a simple small village road – with a notorious blind double-bend, and does not offer an adequately safe route for cyclists and walkers.
In the past few years the volume of motor traffic, it’s changing nature such as more delivery trucks, more SUVs, and even the worsening behaviour and attitudes of many drivers is simply squeezing out road users on foot and on bicycle (etc). This applies all along Walton Road – it is why concerned village residents (backed by the parish council and police) now run a community speedwatch – but its nexus is at the notorious blind double-bend with no footpath and barely wide enough for two lane traffic. The Highways team acknowledge it’s simply the worst length of road of its type in Milton Keynes.
All this adds up to a daily very unpleasant and unsafe experience for walkers and cyclists. No parent would let their young child walk around that corner by themselves and many schoolchildren simply run around it to get past quickly. The traffic, associated noise, fumes and vibration also make the immediate area less pleasant for village residents. It is our view that as more people move into the area there will be more of everything on the road – cycles, pedestrians, leisure and dog walkers, cars, delivery vans and trucks.
Here you will see some of the serious safety concerns we have. Over the last few years the motor traffic has greatly increased as has its use by pedestrians, leisure walkers, cyclists and school children.
Initial ideas from the Council
Following the residents meeting in June 2024, Highways issued an updated ‘options’ document. It was substantially the same as at the meeting, but included a bit more info. The challenge is introduced and six potential options are given. These are assessed against their ability to be delivered and the impact they would make of the recognised problems.
We have shown the most key information here.
These are options FROM THE COUNCIL with their colour coded (RAG) assessment of likely effectiveness.
The options include traffic light, speed bumps, chicanes, camera controlled road closure, one-way and full closure.
We expect that this may form the majority or core of the first informal consultation in the autumn – i.e. they will be inviting opinions from residents and the wider community.
Of course any of the options offered may change – for example the position on ANPR driven ‘open road closure’ may radically change if the council is granted the appropriate powers.
(Multiple images from MKCC below)
Resident’s assessment of options
We have assessed the options from the Council to drive-out the pros and cons. Here are our key points. Of course, the details of any of these options may change by the time the consultation is issued – for example the ANPR driven ‘open road closure’ and we will do our best to assess and inform here.
Of course, this is our assessment, but is the result of discussion by a group of people with knowledge of the problem and the locale, and striving to be objective.
You can write to the council and ward councillors now to express your opinion. We expect that these options will be the basis of the next stage – the ‘informal’ consultation when the Council seeks residents views.
(Multiple slides of resident’s assessment)
What next? – still awaiting action
MKCC promised to conduct a local public consultation exercise. We expected this stage to be around mid 2025 but we are still waiting for it (as of Jan 2026). This is why we presented a residents’ petition (over 200 signatories) to MKCC in July 2025 to make it a priority. This was alongside good exposure in the local news (live radio, tv and local paper). Look out for the informal consultation from MK Council when it occurs – and if you have an opinion please make it. You can also get in touch with us – the road safety group via this contact email here.
Walton Road - road safety campaign 