Parents in Nantwich are calling for action from Cheshire East Council to make a busy road safer near their children’s primary school.
Surveys a year ago showed Wellington Road outside St Anne’s Primary should have a lollipop lady and a zebra crossing.
Yet almost 12 months on there is still no crossing patrol in place and no start date for a crossing to be installed.
One mum Rachel Greenwood told how parents are becoming “very frustrated” with the lack of action.
They have even designed their own posters to put up in coffee shops and stores in the town advertising the post for a crossing patrol.
Mrs Greenwood, whose son has been at St Anne’s for three years, said parents and children are risking their lives every day trying to cross the road.
“The surveys showed it met the requirements for a crossing and patrol, yet it is rumbling on and still nothing,” she said.
“I called in to the job centre but they said they have to wait for Cheshire East to contact them to advertise the position. And we still have no lollipop person in place.
“There’s only so much we can do. The council says it is advertised internally on the job section of its website, but I’m not sure many people go trawling on their looking for part-time work. More needs to be done.
“This is a very dangerous road. I try to walk every day, after all we want to reduce congestion down there. But to be honest it is so busy, we have to wait for someone to stop to let us across.
“People just don’t want to cross that road, something needs to be in place now.”
Nantwich South and Stapeley Councillors Andrew Martin and Peter Groves have been lobbying Cheshire East on parents’ behalf.
Cllr Martin said: “As someone who has children I am very much aware how important this is. I appreciate there is a degree of frustration, that it appears to be taking some time.
“However, we are very much moving in the right direction and I would hope a crossing will be put in place in the 2013/14 financial year. I would also like to thank the parents who have been involved, for the time and effort that they have put in.”
A spokesman for Cheshire East Council said: “Unfortunately, as with a number of sites in the borough, it has proved difficult to recruit to this post and it therefore remains vacant.
“We have worked with the school in an attempt to gain interest but to no avail.”
I do not usually comment on websites, however I feel very strongly about this issue and I can only agree whole-heartedly with the previous comments.
My son has just started at St Anne’s Primary School having moved into the area recently and we have to cross the road every day. I have taught my son to stop then look, listen and think before and whilst crossing the road, which he was able to use to good effect whilst with me where we previously lived. However it often takes more than 5 minutes before we can use what I have taught him to cross this one road in a safe manner without having to run (thank goodness I don’t have a pushchair/toddler to deal with as well) or take advantage of the occasional kind motorist who stops to let us cross.
This road needs a crossing as a matter of urgency, it is only a matter of time before a serious injury or fatality occurs.
Maybe the council could explain to my daughter when she asked why the children who go to schools not far from them deserve a new crossing to keep them safe and they don’t.
As the Head Teacher at St Anne’s I find it really frustrating to explain to anxious Parents that unfortunately Cheshire East have had other priorities for their money over the last eight years since the lobbying for the crossing began. Like Mr Farr I was most upset to see that priority has been given to getting cyclists and walkers safely over Middlewich Road to a public house, rather than young children and families who have to get into school. As part of our Eco School initiative we would love to encourage children to walk or cycle to school, but we currently cannot do this as for many families this puts then in grave danger. For this reason we currently abstain from the National walk to school week. I have been informed that our crossing is high on the agenda and on the priority list for funding; I can only pray that this happens before a dreadful accident occurs.
Used the new cycleway along Midlewich road today ,vast improvement.Just a shame there were hedgecuttings all over it and I had to walk 2 miles home with a puncture !
I avoid crossing this road whenever possible with my pram and two 4 year olds but sometimes have no choice. I recently had a near miss when trying to cross between slow moving traffic due to road works, and one of my children let go my hand and almost rushed across in front of a (fortumately careful, slow-moving) car. I simply cannot teach my children to cross the road safely as the road is never fully clear in both directions near school time. This must be made a priority before we are all forced to say ‘I told you so’ after a tragedy.
I am in the position where I have to drive to school and there is nothing to stop or slow down traffic. I see huge numbers of parents and children trying to get across this very busy, straight, fast flowing road every morning. The cars hurtle along at well over 30mph, and trying to cross with young children is extremely stressful and very dangerous. Time again I have seen parents forced to step into the road to stop the traffic. Even though some cars may stop to allow children to cross, huge risks are being taken as to whether cars in the opposite direction will too. Not to mention the confused messages being sent to the children.
As a parent of two children at St Anne’s school I am astounded this issue has not yet been rectified Every morning and afternoon my children are at the mercy of the drivers of oncoming traffic from both directions on Wellington road who may or may not stop to let us cross! It really is an accident waiting to happen.
Whilst traveling down Middlewich Road to take this weeks excuses from Cheshire East to the tip, I coundn`t help but notice that they have accidently put our crossing near The Rising Sun by mistake.
I also noticed this week that the road is being repaired a few yards up the road from StAnne`s school. This work has reqired the men to dig up the existing crossing and repaint the thing. Is it truly cost effective to pay this team of workers to pack up and leave, then pay them to come back again to do the same job ony yards away from where they are now ?
Come on Cheshire East, you are making fools of yourselves and risking childrens lives.
This really needs to happen quickly, it’s a question of when, not if, a child gets seriously injured. It’s a really busy road at school time and it’s so difficult to get across especially with children and pushchairs. We have to rely on other parents or drivers stopping to let us across which isn’t a great way of teching your children about road safety!
As a mum who walks my two young daughters to St Annes Primary School every morning, I have seen several near misses of children very nearly being knocked down by cars speeding down Wellington Road. I literally take my life (and those of my two children) in my hands every day simply to get my children to school. Something must be done before a fatality occurs, it is only a matter of time.