HUNDREDS of pupils will be safer on the ‘dangerous’ road near their schools after a council agreed to install a crossing following years of campaigning. 


Parents, teachers and councillors are thrilled with the news that South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) has agreed to create a zebra crossing at the Eastland Road junction of Gloucester Road in Thornbury in the coming months.


This will allow Manorbrook Primary School and The Castle School pupils to safely cross the 30mph road, onto Park Road, and is the result of a campaign which started two years ago. 


Cllr Clare Fardell, who represents Thornbury North on SGC, said: “In spring 2013 a Manorbrook parent contacted Steve Webb, our then MP, about the danger for school children crossing Gloucester Road. He passed it on to Thornbury councillors as this is a local traffic matter.


“Whenever speed checks are done on Gloucester Road it transpires that many cars do more than 30mph.


“When we investigated, we found that hundreds of youngsters cross every day, as well as people at other times.

"There is a small refuge in the middle on which only about two people can stand. It is not safe to try to stand there with a buggy, bike or even dog as they stick out into the line of traffic. 


“So we started a petition a couple of years ago. I personally got lots of children to sign as they are the most affected by the lack of a crossing, and I was pleased to find that even though they were rushing to school a lot of them were interested in what I was trying to do. 


“We presented it to SGC which meant that someone needed to at least look at the problem.


“When an officer did an official count and saw how many risks the children were taking they were astonished.


“It was agreed that a crossing was needed if it could be afforded, and we were told that the work would cost around £60,000 to remove the refuge and slightly alter the layout of the road.”


SGC is currently finalising the design of the crossing and it will be created in the next few months.


Cllr Fardell added: “Thank goodness there has not been a serious accident here.  The sooner the crossing is in place, the better.”


Manorbrook headteacher Angela Evans said the school is delighted with the news of the crossing.


“We really encourage children to walk to school, especially as parking is an issue in the area, so the new crossing would be great in making the traffic slow down and the roads safer,” she said.


“We have ‘walk to school’ days twice a week to encourage children to walk in, but only if their route is safe, and this crossing will help.”


A SGC spokesman said: “The scheme will replace the uncontrolled crossing point on Gloucester Road with a new zebra crossing, which will enable people to safely cross the road, including pupils at a number of local schools.


“We consulted on the proposals from August 18 to September 10 and no objections were received, so we are now carrying out detailed design and costings in preparation for the work to begin.

"It will be constructed during 2015/16.”