THE safety of the crossing area in Snarlton Lane, that schoolchildren and families use to access Forest & Sandridge CE Primary School, has been improved following a successful campaign from a local councillor responding to residents’ safety concerns.
Residents and parents had been complaining about the safety of the crossing area for a few years and to improve the issue cllr Mike Sankey proposed, at a town council meeting last year, to paint the road area a different colour to designate the crossing area for schoolchildren.
Town councillors were in support of this, citing the crossing area as ‘an accident waiting to happen’ and agreed to work with Wiltshire Council to negotiate splitting the £2,500 cost to do the work.
Cllr Sankey said, “I am relieved that at last and just in time for the new term of the recently-extended Forest and Sandridge school, this work has been completed. This has only been possible with the support of Melksham Town Council and I would like to take this opportunity to thank them for that support.”
Previously, there had been calls for a controlled crossing to be installed, but in June last year, Wiltshire Council said it was ‘unlikely’ that the crossing area, which is opposite a housing development, would meet the requirements.
Cllr Sankey said, “Wiltshire Council highways officers have taken part in numerous site visits and discussed the limitations to improve road safety due to the constraints of the lane. On the last site visit with myself it was concluded that the only feasible measure was to paint the road surface where the public right of way crosses the lane from Nightingale Close, a different colour.”
A parent of a pupil at Forest & Sandridge Primary School said, “I am really glad to see this has been completed by cllr Sankey, it has been badly needed for years. The council should not encourage children to walk to school when it is unsafe. My child walks across this crossing point twice a day, more if they go to the park, so it’s great to see a well-used area getting the attention it deserves. Along with the lights that were put in recently, the whole area is beginning to feel like it should have when the estate was first built.”
