A two-year campaign to get safer crossing facilities for school children in St Marychurch has been hailed a success by local Community Campaigner Hazel Foster, as Torbay’s Conservative Council is set to make it the top priority for road safety improvements.
Despite hundreds of school children crossing the road in this location every day, there is currently no pedestrian crossing on Teignmouth Road, close to St Cuthbert Mayne School, one of Torbay’s largest schools. On behalf of concerned parents of children who attend the school, in November 2021 Hazel Foster started a campaign calling on Torbay Council to make crossing the busy Teignmouth Road safer by installing a pedestrian crossing.
Hazel intensified the campaign after an accident near the school last winter, which resulted in a pedestrian of school age needing hospital treatment. Yet despite mounting calls for action from parents, students, local campaigners and our bay’s MP Kevin Foster, no work was undertaken on site, even a request for bollards to prevent parking on pavements outside the school gates on Teignmouth Road was turned down.
Yet news that Torbay Council is set to make installing a pedestrian crossing on Teignmouth Road the top priority has been welcomed by local road safety campaigners. A priority list of proposed road safety works puts a new controlled crossing adjacent to St Cuthbert Mayne School top of the list, with a budget of £70,000 allocated for the work. Subject to the report being confirmed the crossing is expected to be in place before April 2024.
Commenting Hazel Foster said: ”This is excellent news! I am delighted the new administration has put this scheme at the top of their priority list. The safety of our children on their way to and from school should always be a priority. I look forward to finally seeing this much needed crossing in place. After disappointment previously, it is great to see action being taken with students living in St Marychurch, Hele and Barton set to benefit from this decision.”
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