Council maintain dark unlit road meets safety guidelines to walk to school

HIGHWAY planners at Warrington Borough Council maintain that a dark unlit road at Croft meets Road Safety Great Britain guidelines for children to walk to school.

It follows a campaign by local Councillors at Croft, Matt Smith and Cheyvonne Bower, who have joined parents in opposing the council’s proposed changes to suggested school commute walking routes for children.

If a child has to walk over three miles to their nearest secondary school or if the route is considered too dangerous, they are provided a free school bus pass.

Cllr Smith says the council has chosen to reassess all walking routes previously considered too dangerous for school children to use and that some routes, like Lady Lane at Croft, that were considered hazardous in the past, are now rated as ‘available’ for use by children.
Cllr Bower says over 100 metres of the Lady Lane route is unlit, has no pavement and the council’s own data shows that the average speed of vehicles there is well over the speed limit.

But a Warrington Borough Council spokesperson said: “Walking routes to school are assessed by our highways teams according to Road Safety Great Britain guidelines, which focus on the interaction between pedestrians and traffic.
“While no road is entirely without risk, Lady Lane has been assessed as having very light traffic, which is also visible from a distance due to the straight line of the road. This means the road is considered available to walk down with road safety in mind, such as wearing clothing to improve visibility and walking with an accompanying friend or adult if necessary.
“This assessment presumes that all road users will behave responsibly, follow the Highway Code and also crucially drive to the conditions of the road.
“If parents/carers or children are uncomfortable with this route to Culcheth High School, an alternative is available via Lord Street.”

The council is also continuing to provide transport for low-income families and children who meet the home to school transport help criteria, which is based on government guidance.

But one concerned parent said: “This decision by the council to deem Lady Lane an acceptable route for children to walk to school is an accident waiting to happen. In my opinion, WBC have manipulated the data to produce a report that benefits only themselves without any consideration to the safety of the children.”
Another said: “We shouldn’t be expecting children to walk down lady lane, no pavement part of the way and poorly lit. We should be encouraging them to go to school not asking them to do a nearly 6 mile round trip to get there and back. WBC need to reassess and get this changed.”
Another added: “This is an absolute joke. I’m sure members of Warrington Borough Council wouldn’t want their kids walking down Lady Lane with no pavement, streetlights and a blind corner!! I will be appealing the decision for my son and will keep appealing until they get sick of me! Absolutely appalling!!

A vehicle travelling along Lady lane at dusk