Plans will be drawn up to improve safety on the site of a fatal road collision following a £4,000 funding award.

Essex County Council has agreed to spend the cash drawing up options to upgrade the A131 at High Garrett after dad-of-five Bryan Myers died and a schoolgirl was left fighting for her life following a crash in December.

Road safety officers have carried out two traffic surveys near to Grove Field and towards Church Street to determine the amount of pedestrians crossing the road and the speed of the cars.

The officers hope to present options on how to improve the road at an upcoming local highways panel meeting.

District councillor David Mann, who lives on the 40mph road, is calling for a lower 30mph speed limit after he previously successfully lobbied for the road to be reduced from 50mph to 40mph.

He said: “I would certainly welcome investment into improving the safety of the road, it is great to see that the county council is looking into it and taking it seriously."

See this week's Braintree and Witham Times for the full story.