Step closer to safer crossing
HOPES have been raised that a pedestrian crossing could be installed outside two Southwell schools.
Staff and parents have been calling for help for children crossing the road outside Lowe’s Wong infants’ and junior schools.
A meeting was told on Tuesday that the road may be eligible for a pedestrian crossing after Nottinghamshire County Council reviewed its assessment criteria.
The schools on Queen Street, Southwell, have been without a crossing patrol since November.
But until now the road was deemed unsuitable for a pedestrian crossing because it did not meet the council’s criteria.
Many children walking to and from school have to cross a busy area of Queen Street.
At a meeting of Southwell Safer Neighbourhood Group, a town councillor, Mrs Beryl Prentice, said she was hopeful that a change in assessment criteria would mean the road would be considered for a pedestrian crossing.
She said: “In the past we have always been told the Lowe’s Wong area doesn’t meet county council criteria but there is quite a possibility that these criteria may be changed and we may be able to apply to get a pedestrian crossing because I don’t think we will get a crossing patrol.”
PC Tony Hayes said he was concerned that the schools were relying on police community support officers who attend the school when they can to stop traffic so children can cross the road.
He said the officers attended when they could, but were not always available.
The chairman of the Safer Neighbourhood Group, Mr Peter Harris, said the town council’s highway group were waiting for further information from the county council about what the new criteria would be.
He said: “We will write to the county council and ask them to send the new criteria for reassessment when they are available and then we can apply for a pedestrian crossing.”
The head of Lowe’s Wong Infants School, Mrs Vanessa Platt, said she would support any move to make crossing the road outside the school safer.
She said: “A pedestrian crossing would be a fantastic help because it is really dangerous crossing the road there.
“Traffic goes far too fast, it’s a very dangerous corner and however hard we try to find somebody, we cannot seem to get a crossing patrol.
“The crossing coupled with the possibility of a 20mph speed limit outside the school will hopefully make it a safer place to cross for our parents and children.”
The county council’s current criteria for implementing pedestrian crossings takes into account the accident record of the road.
It also looks to see if the problem is on a local rather than a major road, if more than half the road is fronted by houses and if more than 250 cars use the road at peak times and travel at speeds of more than 36 miles an hour in a 30 limit.
