Anna Sabine MP ramps up pressure for new school crossing
Anna Sabine MP ramps up pressure for new school crossing
Local MP, Anna Sabine visited Norton Hill Primary School in Midsomer Norton this morning to discuss safety concerns around children arriving and leaving the school.
Inviting B&NES’ highways representative to see the issue in person, Anna met with Head Teacher of Norton Hill, Siobhan Waterhouse who explained the concerns that there is no safe walking route for the children from the new housing estates.
At the moment, building works on the estates are preventing direct access anyway, but this is temporary and with or without the roadworks the lack of a safe crossing means parents are using cars to drop off children, further adding to the traffic chaos on the road.
Anna said:
“It’s very concerning that there is not currently a safe way of children crossing to get to their school. The road is a main and busy route, and it seems a clear opportunity for a crossing of some sort.”
Anna will continue to push the issue with the council to see what can be done, and is going to ask about section 106 money which comes from developers, and where that is being spent. She has reached out to B&NES Council to open discussions as to next steps.
“Housing is important but it has to work without impeding the existing infrastructure, Section 106 money is an ideal way of ensuring developers pay to help ensure communities work, and the importance of ensuring the safety of children walking to school, cannot be overstated.”
Head Teacher, Siobhan Waterhouse said following the visit:
“Norton Hill Primary School was delighted to welcome Anna Sabine MP for a recent visit to the school, where she met with staff and governors to discuss the impact of ongoing housing developments in the surrounding area and the growing concerns about road safety outside the school gates.
Norton Hill outlined the challenges posed by the significant increase in traffic. As the school has increased in size, the road outside the school has become increasingly busy, creating heightened safety risks at drop-off and pick-up times.
We are extremely grateful to Anna Sabine MP for taking the time to visit Norton Hill Primary School and to hear first-hand about our concerns. As our community grows, so too does the volume of traffic outside our school. The safety of our pupils is our absolute priority, and it is imperative that a safe pedestrian crossing is installed as a traffic calming measure and to allow a safe place for pupils to cross the road.”