Eccleshill parents win road safety promise (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Parents earn compromise on safety at danger spot

8:40am Friday 22nd July 2011 in Eccleshill By Steve Wright, Crime Reporter

Parents, who fear their children could be killed crossing a busy road junction to get to school, won a “compromise” last night when councillors promised to look at safety options.

A 400-name petition, on behalf of residents of Eccleshill, Bradford, requesting safe pedestrian access to St Luke’s Cof E School, had previously been handed to Bradford Council.

Young pupils and their parents lobbeyed last night’s meeting of the Bradford East area committee, after a suggested puffin crossing for the five-exit roundabout, taking in Harrogate Road, Fagley Lane, Pullan Avenue and Victoria Road, was not recommended for the highways budget.

Parent Emma Heal handed councillors and officers a letter from pupils, giving their opinions about the crossing.

She told the meeting youngsters walking to school had to cross the roundabout, either on a blind bend or competing with traffic exiting the roundabout and a supermarket car park at speed.

“There have been three accidents involving pedestrians, two of them children,” said Mrs Heal, whose children Isobel, seven, and Benjamin, four, attend the school.

She said it was “unacceptable” that the junction was not budgeted for, and told one councillor: “I take offence at you putting those childrens’ lives at risk.”

The Council’s senior engineer for Bradford East, Martin Cummins, said there was a two-thirds cut in the local transport plan and this year there was £143,500 allocated for traffic management schemes in Bradford East. He said the junction was twice as expensive as any other.”

The committee agreed to a proposal by the deputy chairman, Councillor Ruth Billheimer, to put in a list of recommended schemes, including widening a traffic island at the junction and extending the kerb past the school entrance.

• Read more in Friday’s T&A