Schoolchildren dicing with death on danger crossing

Coun. Neil Mottershead raised the issue of the crossing in Padiham Road, Burnley, three months ago after residents complained that it did not have the correct signage.

The crossing was installed around a year ago to increase the safety of pupils attending the new Burnley High School as well as Shuttleworth Community College.

However, it has been plagued by problems since then, with residents and local councillors complaining that it had been sited too close to a bus stop.

Coun. Mottershead said: “I raised the issue with County Coun. Keith Iddon, who is in charge of highways, three months ago and nothing has been done.

“Anyone using this crossing, which includes schoolchildren and the elderly, are dicing with death. It was a rushed job in my opinion. There’s no signage and therefore cannot be properly enforced. It is little more than a dropped kerb.

“Inconsiderate drivers park near there. It is absolute chaos and I’m disgusted that nothing has been done. It needs a proper zebra crossing.”

Coun. Mottershead has now launched a petition to have the proper signage installed.

Vicky Povey, the headteacher of Burnley High School, has also called for action on the crossing, and said that pupils had had a number of "near misses" when crossing the road.

She said: "My current concerns are that our children run into the middle of the road and wait there to cross the other half of the road. The road is very wide and there is only a small waiting area in the centre of the road for children to wait on.

"The road is also very busy and quite often people drive above the speed limit as the road is deceptively like a dual carriage way in places.

"We constantly talk to our students about road safety during assemblies and tutor time and we encourage our students to be as sensible and vigilant as possible when crossing the roads, however we have had a number of near misses where children have not been able to see around a bus or large vehicle and have taken a chance.

"A pedestrian crossing would be ideal, a zebra even would make a huge difference and stop a potential accident."

County Coun. Keith Iddon said: "I have been to see this road with Coun. Mottershead and understand his concerns over this issue.

"However it is the council's policy to prioritise zebra crossings for roads which have had incidents on them to ensure the needs of areas most in need are met.

"I can assure him that the area is on the council's radar and we will continue to monitor Padiham Road, Burnley."