It brings the community together, gives a warm fuzzy feeling in your chest as it’s light hearted & gives a talk around the town. We, as a community are very passionate about Duck Pond Island. Through different seasons it is decorated along with ducks / Christmas tree’s, pumpkins etc. Lastly, it gives children something to know that they are home and they love seeing it!
Started by: Dale Mellor
This ePetition ran from 18/02/2025 to 04/04/2025 and has now finished.
36 people signed this ePetition.
Thank you for submitting a petition to rename the roundabout at the junction of Darsway and Castle Donington Relief Road to ‘Duck Pond Island’. The petition received by the County Council, contained 36 signatures. The terms of the petition are:
“We the undersigned petition the Council to get Darsway island name changed to ‘Duck Pond Island’. It brings the community together, gives a warm fuzzy feeling in your chest as it’s light hearted & gives a talk around the town. We, as a community are very passionate about Duck Pond Island. Through different seasons it is decorated along with ducks / Christmas tree’s, pumpkins etc. Lastly, it gives children something to know that they are home and they love seeing it!”
The Council receives a large number of enquiries, the majority of which are requests for highway improvements following concerns about parking, vehicle speeds and many other traffic issues. The Council’s current practice is to maintain the condition of Leicestershire’s highway network and to consider essential safety improvements only, as at present, the County Council’s resources around road safety is being directed at remedial works at high-risk locations, and those having evidence of a poor accident history, as reported to the Council by the Police.
Leicestershire County Council, as the Highway Authority, has not authorised or condoned the decorating of the island and the Council would presume that the individuals decorating the island do so at their own risk. Placing decorative items in the highway should be subject to risk assessments around distraction, and this level of decorating would fall into this category. The Council cannot defend this dangerous practice and strongly recommend that it ceases immediately.
Historically, larger roundabouts or road junctions were assigned names to assist with giving directions. With the technological advances that have been made in recent years, there is now no need for such names. The use of the internet for providing directions and the use of satellite navigation devices is now commonplace, and relied upon heavily by a significant proportion of drivers.
If the Council was to consider replacing the advanced roundabout signage to include a banner with the proposed new name, it would be a costly expenditure. There are three very large advanced directional signs as vehicles approach the roundabout on each arm. New signs including the new name would have to be designed, ordered and installed under the required traffic management at a cost of approximately £10,000. These signs are very large and with material costs increasing significantly in recent years, sign prices have also risen accordingly. The Council also have to be aware that a possible name change may encourage even more visitors to the roundabout, which then carries an increased risk of vehicle collisions.
The Council does need to be realistic when assessing the need to update signs on the highway, as this could set a precedent across the whole County that the Council would not be able to maintain. The harsh reality is that funding for any improvements to the existing highway is very limited and funding is being directed at locations which unfortunately have a realised safety issue.
Notwithstanding the above, this scheme would need to be third party funded, with residents approaching Castle Donington Parish Council to see if they would support and fund the scheme. If the Parish Council are able and willing to facilitate funding for the new signs, the Council could provide a more accurate costing and would require full payment before the works could commence.
For your information, the roundabout island is available for sponsorship in the future, so the Council could potentially see sponsorship/advertising type signs being installed bearing no reference to either ducks or ponds if a suitable company comes forward.
The Council appreciates that this may not be the response you were hoping for, but trust that it adequately explains the Council’s position on this matter.
Kind regards,
Ann Carruthers
Director of Environment and Transport
Leicestershire County Council