A litany of road safety and parking issues have arisen around the new Histon & Impington Park Primary School since it moved to its new building on Glebe Way, the main B1049 road to Cottenham.
Major concerns have arisen about the speed of traffic passing the entrance to the school and the adequacy of safety measures.
The problems have led head teacher Jonathan Newman to survey parents and carers about their concerns and write to neighbours about the measures being taken by the school to address the problems, with a list of suggested improvements.
He said: “I am sure that you will understand that currently a significant amount of my time is taken up with dealing with issues around traffic and parking and many of these are completely out of my control. We do however want to work, wherever possible, with local residents and we will endeavour to keep you informed of any developments moving forward.”
Local councillors are in discussion with the school about the problems and a public meeting will be arranged with County Councillor Ros Hathorn.
Safety issues
Speedwatch volunteers have been monitoring traffic approaching the school crossing and found that between 5 and 10% of vehicles passing the school entrance are speeding, mostly between 35 and 40mph, though one was clocked at 53mph.
A Speedwatch coordinator commented: “People just don’t seem to realise that they are over the limit, and of course you will always get those who are in a rush.
“Our aim is to be overt as a reminder to people that they should be at the correct speed limit in our village to ensure safety of all our residents. The police will also attend and carry out sessions where they can issue fines, if there is a particular problem area.”
The school is encouraging parents and carers to raise their concerns with the Highways department at Road.Safety@cambridgeshire.gov.uk and to lobby the local authority. It would favour a 20mph speed limit and is awaiting written feedback from a formal Road Safety Audit that has taken place. In the meanwhile, the speed warning signs, which were initially placed too close to the crossing and also currently have the wrong form of display, will be replaced further away from the crossing.
As a result of earlier lobbying, the length of crossing time at the traffic light outside the school was increased by 40% in February, and the school is hopeful that its request for double yellow lines on Cottenham Road will also be successful.
At the crossing itself, the width of the path is thought to be too narrow, and the school is hoping that an adjacent verge will be either tarmacked or slabbed to address this.
Parents and carers believe the pedestrian barriers at the crossing are too short, but the Highways authority is adamant that such barriers cause more problems than they solve, due to the risk of pedestrians becoming trapped against the railings as they cross the road. They have been progressively been removing similar pedestrian railings elsewhere in the interest of safety.
The introduction of speed bumps has also been suggested, but neighbours are concerned that these would create a wider problem due to the noise levels from large commercial vehicles.
Parking
In the school survey, some parents complained of a lack of sympathy for people who have to drive to school.
Local residents have been raising concerns about the need for parking in the area and Parish Councillor Yvonne Murray and Edd Stonham of Greenleas Estate Management Ltd have been working with the headteacher and the children in the School Eco Group to create signs for the Greenleas Estate about where not to park.
The school is also drawing up a 5 minute/10-minute walking map to identify more places for parents/carers to park safely.
The Parish Council is encouraging the community to a look at the suggestions and issues raised in the head teacher’s letter and responses have been received to a post on its website. Several of these also relate to parking.
One comment raises problems caused by “a staff car park with inadequate capacity” and notes that “these potential problems were brought up time and time again by residents during the planning consultation for the new school. It rather makes a mockery of planning consultation when important issues like these apparently fall on deaf ears!”
Another points out that some parents have no option but to drop their children at the school by car: “I was able to cycle whilst we were in lockdown but now must work at the office in Cambridge, starting at 9.30. To arrive on time, I have to drive. I am left with no option but to park on nearby residential roads which understandably frustrates those that live there, despite my attempts to be as considerate as possible… the location was a poor choice.”
