Five new 20mph zones at schools in Nottingham
FIVE new 20mph zones are set to be introduced to improve safety outside city school gates.
Consultation has started on the speed restrictions and Nottingham City Council has made legal orders for two roads in Bulwell, one in The Meadows, one in Hyson Green and one in Sherwood.
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Snape Wood Primary School council members
The measures will be implemented within this financial year, unless anyone makes a High Court challenge against them before June 22.
Snape Wood Primary in Bulwell has welcomed moves for a 20mph zone outside the school in Aspen Road.
The school's office manager, Alison Howarth, said: "We have been campaigning to get signs up. We have a sign at the bottom of the road to say there is a school but there isn't anything up the road to indicate it is here.
"The traffic speeds up and down and it is very dangerous. There are speed humps but they are not actually outside the school.
"If it was 20mph and there were signs it would slow the traffic down. We need drivers to cut their speed because they don't do 30mph – they do 40 or 50mph."
She added that children had also designed some of their own speed signs and the school had written to the House of Commons to ask if they could display them on the road outside.
Other areas where 20mph zones are planned:
Hoewood Road, outside Rufford Junior School, Bulwell.
Wilford Grove, near Meadows Primary School and Greenfields Community School, The Meadows.
A number of roads in the Longmead Drive area of Sherwood, near Burford Primary School.
Bobbers Mill Road, Hyson Green, near Berridge Junior School and Berridge Infant and Nursery School.
Francis Ashton, road safety manager for the city council, said the new orders were part of a rolling programme of 20mph speed limits outside city schools and 38 have been implemented so far.
She said they could only be put in place in areas where there are already traffic calming measures, such as road humps, plateaus, or chicanes.
"It is all part of wide-reaching safety measures outside schools," she said.
"It will help drivers to be more aware there are children in the area in large numbers.
"Children are unpredictable and they may run into the road. These measures are there to alert drivers to the dangers."
Mrs Ashton added that the council usually made about five new 20mph zone orders a year, as the council had limited resources to carry out the necessary research and legal process.
"Mostly people can understand the reason behind it. We have very few, if any, objections," she said.
"We even get some requests from people saying they have seen a new 20mph zone in an area and they want one as well."
jon.robinson@nottinghameveningpoast.co.uk
3 Comments
by Tom, Nottm
Thursday, May 21 2009, 11:44AM
“Its impossible to go fast round a school anway! the amount of mums in cars who have to park as close a physically as close as possible & babdly at that! even then we know they'll live within walking distance & just lazy fatties!”
by Bill.., Basford
Thursday, May 21 2009, 8:07AM
“Who or What is going to Enforce the limits?
No 'safety' cameras will be put up as they will not raise enough Revenue.
The limits will be introduced, and Nothing will change.
Residents will be expected to note reg numbers and report drivers who they 'Think' are driving too fast, cops will send the drivers a letter, drivers will ignore the letters = The End.”
by Dave, Notts
Thursday, May 21 2009, 7:44AM
“Presumably these 20mph zones are in force only at school opening and closing times. If not, then this is the thin end of the wedge. The schools are only open for 38 weeks of 5 days, there is no need for a limit of 20mph at 3 a.m. If they are temporary (with illuminated signage indicating when they are in force) then I think it's a good idea.”