Hinckley headteacher wants permanent crossing outside primary school

Leicestershire County Council is introducing road safety measures outside the school but some people do not think this is enough.

The headteacher of St Peters Catholic Primary School in Hinckley wants a permanent crossing outside the school to make crossing the road safer for pupils and parents.

Many families have to cross London Road in the town to get to school.

Mrs Luisa Rinaldi-Oxley, the headteacher, told Fosse 107 why it is important that a crossing is installed.

Leicestershire County Council have agreed to introduce safety measures such as: providing additional ‘School Keep Clear’ markings outside the school; moving on-street parking bays to nearby Castle Street to reduce traffic outside the school at drop-off and pick-up times; and re-instating advisory 20mph speed limit signs.

Councillor Ozzy O'Shea, cabinet member for highways and transport, told Fosse 107 why the road does not meet the criteria for a permanent crossing.

A crossing patrol person has recently been employed to help families across London Road and the county council say this has 'already prompted a positive reaction'.

Before Leicestershire County Council agreed to introduce the new safety measures Fosse 107 spoke to parents of children at St Peters Catholic Primary School.

One parent said: "I witnessed a serious near-miss with one of the children crossing the road, if it hadn't been for his parents he would most certainly have been hit by a vehicle."

Another parent said: "Every day is a day where pupils and parents are exposed to the dangers of the unsafe crossing."

A petition to install a safe crossing on London Road has been signed nearly 9000 times.

Cllr Michael Mullaney has written to the County Council’s Highways and Transport Scrutiny Committee and said: “A huge number of residents in the area I represent on the County Council and the area my two fellow Hinckley County Councillors David Bill and Stuart Bray represent support a safe crossing at St Peter’s School on London Road in Hinckley. 8,850 residents signed a petition supporting the campaign.

“There are safety concerns, there have been a number of near misses involving pupils and parents going to the school. Although not recorded it is believed that there was an accident leading to a fatality some years ago along this part of London Road when a pedestrian was knocked over.

“Whilst I appreciate the extra road safety measures that are proposed for London Road near St Peter’s School I am extremely disappointed that the request for a safe road crossing has not been supported in the report.

“There is widespread support for it and Cllrs Bill, Bray and myself identified funding for putting a crossing in at the site through the Members Highway Fund, a fund which was developed with the apparent intention of supporting Highways causes that were important in Councillor’s local areas.

“Whilst it’s welcome that a crossing person has been recruited for St Peter’s School there is always the risk that the person may step down from the job and it may be difficult to find a new person (as it took some years to recruit a crossing person there, with no school crossing patrol between 2017 and 2022 despite attempts to recruit to the post).  A safe pedestrian crossing at the site however would be a permanent safety measure that would benefit pupils and parents and residents more generally crossing the road there.

“Whilst I welcome the fact there will be some safety improvements at the site I and many residents believe there still needs to be a safe permanent crossing at St Peter’s School. I therefore urge the County Council to rethink and agree to installing a crossing near St Peter’s School”