Puffin to help children safely across road
Pupils at Queen Elizabeth School in Atherstone are to enjoy a safer route to the classroom thanks to the construction of a new Puffin crossing on Witherley Road.
Safety and traffic speeds on this road have been an issue for pupils at the school and local residents, and both the local Warwickshire County Councillor Richard Grant and Atherstone Town Council have called for improvements.
The School Council at QES and Voice4m from the Youth and Community Service have campaigned to make it safer to cross the road and they immediately supported the pedestrian crossing scheme.
The Puffin crossing has been funded by Warwickshire County Council as part of its “Safer Routes to Schools” initiative to encourage pupils to walk or cycle to school.
The school already has excellent ‘green’ credentials, with two-thirds of pupils walking to school, and it is hoped that the new crossing will encourage even more to walk rather than travel by car.
A review of the Speed Limit in Witherley Road has recently been completed with a recommendation to reduce the limit from 40mph down to 30mph. Consultations about proposals to bring about this change will be carried out later in the year.
Cllr Richard Grant said: “The School Council and Voice4m gave direct accounts of their experiences of crossing this road on their way to and from school and it was clear that something had to be done. I pay tribute to the young people who voiced their concerns and presented their case in such a reasoned and clear way. Working with them was a pleasure and has achieved a good result.”
Headteacher Tony Wilmot said: “We have all been very concerned for many years now that our pupils are crossing a very busy road with a 40mph speed limit. The construction of the Puffin crossing and the recommendation to reduce the speed limit is fantastic news. I must thank those responsible especially Cllr Grant, but also our students who have campaigned long and hard for this.”