Campaign launched for safety crossing outside Blackburn school
9:30am Friday 19th October 2012 in News
By Lisa Woodhouse, Assistant picture editor
PETITION Ben Shuttleworth, five, with from left, Daniel Blake, five, Joanna Spratt, Trish McGahan, Sheryn Crump and Lindsey Simpson
A CAMPAIGN to put in traffic calming measures outside a Blackburn school has been launched.
Parents, teachers and councillors are calling for the move after concerns about the volume of traffic in the area were raised. They want a crossing outside Meadowhead Infants School in Shorrock Lane.
Trisha Mcgahan 49, of Whalley Avenue, said: “I have started a petition to see if we can get a school crossing outside.
“We have backing from Green Lane community centre, and the head of the school.”
The grandmother-of-three said on the first day of term a youngster stepped into the road and his foot was run over by a car.
She said: “We would be happy with any kind of crossing.
“The police put up a box to measure the number of cars and their speed last week.
“The community police officers are supporting us. On a few occasions they have helped children across the road. It’s not just the parents who are concerned. The residents are also complaining about the amount of traffic.
“We have lots of names on the petition already – probably about 200. We have been stopping people at the school gates, trying to get people to sign it.”
School head Alison Smallridge said: “Shorrock Lane is a very busy road and it is on an incline so cars can come by travelling very fast.
“The school also has a problem with parents parking near the entrance and some double park which makes it difficult for parents to cross safety with the children because they can’t see around the cars.
“Parents have been to me and me and the governors fully support the petition to have a crossing. At the moment, it’s very dangerous.
Coun Conrad Tapp said: “I know the council is monitoring the area. The school would certainly benefit from a crossing in the area.”
Comments(2)
superfly agaric
says...
10:19am Fri 19 Oct 12
I drive past a few schools on my way to work and none are as problematic as the parents from this school.
This new crossings main purpose will be to protect the children from their own parents. Why don't you obey the laws - don't park on the wavy yellow lines directly outside the school. Don't drop your children from the middle of the road. Don't pull into oncoming traffic after dropping your child. Don't 'park' your car two feet from the kerb. And finally - do you really need to drive the 200 yards to drop your child at school, the execrcise might do you some good.
nowtbutmoors says...
9:52am Fri 19 Oct 12