CASH will be set aside for road safety improvements on a road that claimed 18-year-old Andrew Fielding’s life 26 years ago, a councillor has confirmed.

Pauline Fielding, Andrew’s mother, has campaigned for road improvements on the A540 in Neston ever since his death at the Raby Park Road junction in 1994.

She urged Cheshire West and Chester Council to make room for them in its budget for 2020-21 at a scrutiny meeting on Monday, February 3 and again at the cabinet meeting on Wednesday, February 5.

Now, the councillor in charge of roads has confirmed that cash will be found for road safety improvements, ahead of a meeting between campaigners and the authority on February 24.

Labour Cllr Karen Shore, cabinet member for environment, highways and strategic transport, said: “I would like to thank Pauline Fielding for coming to speak to us today and for her absolutely determined campaign on the A540.

“We agree that the improvements need to be made and I am pleased to commit today to allocating money in this financial year, in this budget, towards those improvements.

“I look forward to working with Pauline and the A540 group to realise those ambitions, to look at the scheme in detail and to discuss how we take this forward when we meet on February 24.”

Andrew Fielding was driving along the A540 in Neston when he was forced to swerve to avoid a car that cut across his path to turn into Raby Park Road – causing the 18-year-old to hit another car.

It was the second death in as many years at the location, and the coroner recording Andrew’s death called for a review into road safety at the junction.

But while the speed limit was reduced from 60mph to 40mph, other recommendations made both by council officers and independent advisers since then have not been taken up.

Pauline is calling for a linked traffic lights system in the area, with a pedestrian crossing at the Raby Park Road junction.

She told councillors: “Please do not wait for further deaths before you take action.

“It is imperative that long overdue measures are taken to make this junction safe for school children and residents so other families do not lose a loved one like we have.”