Since Spring this year Council consultations have been ongoing over proposals regarding the possible lifting of the Restricted Traffic Access Order on St Peter's Road, Malvern. Following various discussions which I was able to facilitate between residents and the Northleigh Primary School, where I am a Governor, we were able to reach unanimous agreement over our opposition to any proposals to lift the Restricted Access Order. A Petition was presented by parents of schoolchildren at Northleigh Primary School and residents on the road at the last full meeting of the County Council, 24th June 2010. Further signatures continue to be added to this given the strength of feeling amongst all parties concerned.
The following is the letter I sent to the Head of Legal Services at the Council on behalf of residents and the Governors of Northleigh Primary School in April 2010.
Simon Mallinson
Head of Legal and Democratic Services
Worcestershire County Council
County Hall
Spetchley Road
Worcestershire WR5 2NP
19th April 2010
Dear Simon,
I have arranged a number of meetings between the Chairman of Governors at Northleigh Primary School in the past couple of weeks and some spokespeople on behalf of the residents of St Peters Road concerning the proposed moves to lift the restricted access on the road.
The following agreement was reached between the Chairman of Governors, John Dixon, on behalf of Northleigh Primary School and the spokespeople for the residents of St Peter’s Road.
1) The revocation of the Order was opposed by all parties.
Residents pointed out that the existing restrictions had successfully prevented St Peters Road from being used as a short cut. The road with its school, steep gradient, reduced visibility bend and dangerous junctions was unsuitable as a natural thoroughfare. If the restrictions were lifted the road would become a rat-run, particularly convenient to traffic from the nearby Malvern Vale housing development.
It was agreed that if revocation proceeded, increased through traffic interacting with parent parking would significantly heighten the risk of accidents and make access for regular users more difficult.
2) The key concern for all parties moving forward would be any increase in through-traffic using St Peter’s Road. It was felt by residents that the occasional use by parents through the road was not a major concern.
Residents accept that some parents had no alternative but to drive to school. Limited parking in St Peters Road is preferable and safer than leaving parents with no alternative other than to park on adjoining roads. Since 1995 the police have used their discretion and residents support the police in the way that they are continuing to manage traffic.
3) The parking by parents was an issue but it was felt that this could be best controlled through better road marking, especially opposite the junctions onto St Peters - for example at Tanglewood. The school should keep informing parents about keeping access points clear which the school stressed it was already doing and would continue to do.
Revocation of the Order would not change the behaviour of parents taking children to and from school. Parents would continue to search for limited parking spaces and the few that presently undertook three point turns would continue to do so for their own convenience and to avoid the dangerous Blackmore Road junction.
4) By providing greater visibility to the restricted access signage it was felt that this would remind parents and other users alike to use the road in the intended way. It was felt the signage as it stood was not clear enough and should be improved and needed to be remedied. Of particular concern is the missing triangular school warning sign on the approach from Cowleigh Bank junction. The school sign on the approach from Blackmore Road is largely hidden by growth. At the Cowleigh Bank Junction, the “dead end ahead” sign should be dismantled and replaced by a roundel showing the restricted access to St Peters Road.
Such improvements would reduce the risk of accidents. At present cars parked immediately opposite the school zigzag markings. Children alighting from these vehicles had to cross over the road at a place where both they and passing drivers were liable to be distracted by friends and other children. Parking opposite the school should be banned and a safety railing erected outside the school gates.
Elsewhere, badly parked vehicles sometimes blocked accesses to dwellings. A possible solution to this problem would be to review the adequacy of the provision of marked out parking bays and to provide a single white line keep clear marking to those accesses most at risk of obstruction. Perhaps the most effective method to encourage considerate behaviour would be for the police to produce a leaflet on good parking practice for the school to hand out to drivers annually or bi annually as necessary.
5) Residents felt very strongly that as some had made donations via a paid contribution to the making up of the road that it would not be fair now to have this road opened up. Whilst this was a concern, for all parties the paramount concern was for the safety of children and for all residents and those living and working on this road. The proposal to lift the restricted access order was regarded as perverse and not working towards this end.
Kind regards
Yours sincerely,
Beverley
Councillor Beverley Nielsen
Malvern Trinity Division
Worcestershire County Council
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