Having recently met with governors and teaching staff of Sidmouth Primary School and discussed the concerns of not being able to get a replacement School Crossing Patrol person for both morning and afternoons during school time. We discussed possible solutions and ideas to help achieve a safer crossing for the young people who attend the school.
Whilst a Zebra crossing was mentioned the cost is approx £100k which wouldn't be forthcoming without available funding and would have to compete with other sites across Devon. A Zebra would also prevent the local residents who live in the cottages from parking near their properties.
I recently raised the issue with the Chief Executive of Active Travel when I met him with officers when he visited Exeter, as I felt that by providing safer crossings near schools that it would encourage more youngsters to walk to school and cut down the dependency of being driven to school by mums and dads.
It was good to be assured that he was on side and suggested thinking outside the box and group a bid for perhaps up to 20 schools across Devon.
I had seen a good use of coloured road surfaces and school signs on roads used to great effect in other County areas and have attaced photos of a suggestion I am putting forward for consideration with some slight tweaks in creating a tabletop crossing and for the school children signs to be on approaches to the crossing point with yellow bands.
It would be for the design team to carry out the finite work and for the governors and teachers of the Academy school to also input the scheme.
The school crossing patrol position is still vacant and anyone interested should contact the school.
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