A PLANNED crossing on a dual carriageway cannot come soon enough, residents have said.

Pedestrians regularly cross the section of the A131, where the speed limit is 60 miles an hour, on their way to the Branocs Tree pub in Great Notley.

The Greene King Hungry Horse pub was opened in 2013 and serves the nearby Skyline 120 Business Park as well as residents who live nearby.

Chris Clarke posted a video on Facebook of a near miss he had whilst driving towards Braintree hoping to highlight the danger of crossing pedestrians to other drivers.

Ray Jobsz, a resident of Bakers Lane in Great Notley, said he has also been similarly close to hitting a pedestrian before.

Mr Jobsz said: “I never understood why retail units were allowed on there without suitable means of crossing. It is an accident just waiting to happen.

“It should all have been done long before planning was granted.”

The Parish Council applied to Essex County Council’s local highway panel for some warning signs back in November 2014, later applying for a crossing to be installed in January 2015.

Karen Hellen, another resident of Great Notley, said: “I’m a wheelchair user, it puts me off going anywhere alone or even more worrying with my children as we don’t drive.

“I love going to both Hungry Horse and Toby Carvery but the road there is the same.

“It’s really upsetting, I was in major accident five years ago so I know the impact it can have.”

Aldi would have had to install a crossing as part of its failed bid to build a supermarket near the pub.

A spokesman for Essex Highways said: “The design for a possible crossing at this point is currently underway and is due for completion before the end of this financial year.

“Progress on the design and cost issues will be discussed at the upcoming Braintree Local Highways Panel meeting in January.”

Greene King said it was supportive of the plans for a crossing.