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Road safety campaign
Posted: 5th November 2020Our school community is coming together to fight for road safety measures to protect our children.
The road outside Little Parndon Primary Academy has been a concern to staff and parents for some years.
The school sits on a bend in Hodings Road, meaning crossing safely is a problem with cars passing at speed – with more than a mile of road without a safe crossing spot to access the school.
An assessment of the site in the past resulted in Essex Highways stating it did not meet the necessary criteria to invest in a zebra crossing or other road safety measures.
The school, instead, has been offered training for its teachers to accompany children across the road.
The most recent incident saw a car destroy the safety barriers outside the school gates just before the recent half-term break.
Headteacher Mark Evans said: “We are very concerned about the traffic and road safety issues outside Little Parndon Primary Academy.
“We would welcome a review by Essex County Council in relation to the installation of traffic calming measures, for example, a pedestrian crossing outside the school.
“Our parents share these concerns and have created a petition to raise awareness of the strength of feeling among our school and community.”
The school does have support from local ward councillors Jean Clark and Chris Vince who agree there is a need for traffic calming measures.
Parents have also started a petition to encourage the authorities to reconsider the site, with more than 800 signatures already gathered. The campaign needs to secure the support of 1,000 people before it will be considered.
The petition, started by parent Chloe Mordecai, outlines the problem: “There are numerous crossing gaps and spaces, but they are at blind spots and often have cars parked on them which makes it impossible for adults, let alone children, to cross safely.
“As a concerned parent, I would just like the comfort of knowing my children have got to school safely and not have the panic of rushing across the road, squeezed between parked cars in the hope a car doesn’t turn that corner before they notice.”