New crossing for nursery kids
SAFETY PUSH WILL ALSO SEE KEY CITY ROAD CUT TO 20MPH
Local Democracy Reporter
NEW restrictions are being imposed on a busy city-centre road to protect parents and children from being involved in an accident outside a nursery.
Traffic lights will be installed next to the Claremont Road car park early next year in a bid to make the road safer for families using the Childsplay Nursery opposite. The maximum speed on the road will also be slashed to 20mph.
The nursery’s manager welcomed the “amazing” new crossing, after years of worrying that an accident could happen.
Drivers will also be banned from turning left out of the car park towards the city centre and from turning right into it from Claremont Road.
Childsplay manager Diane Gregory said: “We are delighted that the funding has been secured for this and that it is going to go ahead.
“It is wonderful news for us because it will improve safety and encourage parents to talk to their children about how to cross the road safely.”
She added that she was aware of some “near-misses” on the road involving families coming to the nursery, which welcomes more than 100 children a day.
She said: “Sometimes a parent has two children with them and one can let go of their hand and step out into the road. That is all it can take for there to be an accident.
“We have had a parent whose child fell over while they were crossing the road.
“It was concerning us for a long time that things were getting worse rather than better.”
It was revealed last month that the busy car park could be scrapped as part of pollution-cutting plans to turn the city centre into a ‘Clean Air Zone.’
It is earmarked as a possible location for a new delivery hub, where high-polluting vans and lorries can drop off their goods for them to take the final leg of their journey on environmentallyfriendly vehicles.
A Newcastle City Council spokesperson said: “Following road safety concerns raised by the nursery regarding Claremont Road, we have identified funding to install a signalised crossing.
“This will provide safe crossing facilities for parents and children attending the nursery and better manage traffic leaving the car park.
“At the same time, we will also reduce speed to 20mph along Claremont Road to further improve safety on this road.
“This is a very busy junction and forms part of wider plans for the area. Installation of the crossing is due to take place early next year, but this will be carefully planned to fit in with the Barras Bridge improvements to minimise disruption.”