Chippenham traffic calming bid accelerates (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Chippenham traffic calming bid accelerates

1:00pm Saturday 12th May 2012 in Chippenham

Councillor Bill Douglas will take his campaign to slow traffic in streets with schools in to the next community area transport group on May 21.

The councillor hopes to roll out the 20 is Plenty campaign in two areas, Monkton Park and Wood Lane and Webbington, to test how effective it is at making drivers think twice about child safety.

He said that in Monkton Park, where there are two schools and only one main entry to the estate, the costs could be around £1,500 to provide signs at the entrances to the area.

“I have had strong public support for this campaign,” said Coun Douglas.

“These are high pedestrian areas with many children – they are also primary school areas which means children and parents who do not live in the immediate area often drive in. Both areas are suitable for the first stages of 20 is Plenty.”

The councillor said he had received a letter from the Chippen-ham Children’s Parliament backing the campaign.

Coun Mary Fallon believes the initiative will have particular benefit in the Monkton Park area, where she lives.

“It is particularly dangerous as people use Eastern Avenue and Sadlers Mead as a rat run,” she said.

“I wish we could do this at all the primary schools in Chippenham. I’d also love to see it at our secondary schools.”

Father-of-three Mike Flay said he understood there were just two lollipop ladies in North Wiltshire.

“This is a crazy shortage of staff to help our children safely cross the road,” he said.

“Someone somewhere needs to deal with this quickly before another youngster is hurt or even killed.”

However, Jane Clark of the Chippenham and Villages Area Partnership said the initiative shouldn’t be confined to the town when the villages are also desperately in need.

“The children in some of our villages cannot play, they cannot walk to school, they cannot cycle anywhere, because it is just too dangerous,” she said.