Work to start on school safety scheme

Work is set to get under way on a scheme to improve safety for pupils, parents and motorists outside a school in Stoke-on-Trent.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is carrying out the work near to Burnwood Community School, in Chell Heath, after concerns were raised about dangerous and haphazard parking during school drop-off and pick-up times.

The safety scheme, part of the council’s capital programme of investment across the city will involve: Creating a new parking facility on the grass verge at the junction of Chell Heath Road and Bishop Road opposite the school; Introducing new double yellow markings on Chell Heath Road and Bishop Road, restricting stopping/waiting to load and unload; The provision of a new pedestrian footway on Chell Heath Road; Re-routing and widening of existing footway/cycleway that currently runs on the grass verge; New pedestrian dropped kerbs on Chell Heath Road and Bishop Road.

The work – due to start on Monday, September 7 – will take approximately nine weeks to complete. To ensure the safety of workers and motorists, a one-way system will be in operation on Chell Heath Road (the smaller section, not the main road) but as the majority of work is on the grass verge, disruption to traffic will be minimal. Access to the school, Stoke North Children’s Centre and private properties will be maintained for the duration of the project.

Councillor Daniel Jellyman, cabinet member for infrastructure, regeneration and heritage, said: “Residents living near to the school had told us about the problems they were facing with parents blocking their driveways at school drop-off and pick-up times. There were also cases where people were parking dangerously on the highway, putting pedestrians and other motorists at risk of harm. Road safety is one of our top priorities and I’m pleased work on this important scheme is set to get under way. We held a consultation with the community at the end of last year and the response we received was very positive. The changes will provide a much safer environment for everyone.”