Parents fight for safe walk to school
Worried parents are campaigning for a path to be installed so children can walk to their village school in safety. The initiative is led by Vicky Hastings of Morley, who has collected 200 signatures calling on the county council to take action, which she plans to present to county councillor Adrian Gunson, the authority's portfolio holder for transport.
Worried parents are campaigning for a path to be installed so children can walk to their village school in safety.
The initiative is led by Vicky Hastings of Morley, who has collected 200 signatures calling on the county council to take action, which she plans to present to county councillor Adrian Gunson, the authority's portfolio holder for transport.
Mrs Hastings walks her nine-year-old twin daughters to and from Morley primary school each day because it is a healthier option than travelling by car, and helps reduce environmental pollution from exhaust fumes.
But she claims it also very dangerous as there are no paths along 60mph Deopham Road which runs from the village to the school, which is on the outskirts of the settlement.
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“The county council has said it will come out and do an assessment, but they have been out before and they didn't do anything about it. There are 30 children that could walk to school and I know some of them don't because the road is dangerous.
“It's a good half a mile from the village to the school, the speed limit is 60mph, and we just want a pavement,” she explained.
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Mrs Hastings said the appeal is backed by governors and staff at Morley primary who have long campaigned for safety measures to be implemented, and would like to see a reduction in the speed limit outside the school and street lighting as well as a path.
County council spokesman, John Birchall, said they have agreed to build a path outside the school in response to earlier request, and the scheme is included in the works programme for this summer. But it is the first time the authority has received a request to provide a pedestrian link to the village.
“The assessment will be carried out during term time, either in the morning or afternoon when schoolchildren will be using the route,” he said.
Mr Birchall said there is stiff competition for the available funding for new footpaths, with approaching 400 requests currently under consideration across the county.
