Traffic lights by school crossings will be a priority fix for council
NORREYS residents are thankful the council to say green for go on repairs to traffic lights outside a school.
The crossing on Ashridge Road had been out of action for several weeks – but it was finally brought back into use after Wokingham Today got involved.
It is a gateway to a playground, as well as leading to Keep Hatch Primary, Foundry College and a pre-school.
A worried resident contacted Wokingham Today to share their concerns, warning there could be an accident if they are not fixed soon.
“The traffic is very fast and a danger also scary for children trying to cross the road,” they said. “The council has been notified on several occasions but the lights are still not working.”
This view was echoed by Cllr Rachel Burgess, Wokingham Borough Councillor for Norreys ward and leader of the Labour group.
She said the non-functioning lights had been raised with the council when it happened and called for an urgent repair to be made.
“This was reported weeks ago and I have also separately escalated the issue with the Council,” Cllr Burgess said.
“It is a busy crossing point used by many young families while they are on the school run and it needs fixing fast.
“The Council is right to encourage people to walk more but it must provide safe routes to do so.”
Conservative ward councillor Phil Cunnington said that while no residents had contacted him about the lights, he had asked council officers to keep him updated on progress, adding that the fault had been logged on Tuesday, February 21.
“Unfortunately the reporting system is now automated through a web form and we no longer receive feedback on progress of repairs as a matter of course,” he said.
“We have been asked not to contact officers directly and to only use this route for reporting problems so we are a little stuck in this respect.
“The coalition are planning to underfund highways maintenance starting next year and I anticipate more examples of unhappy residents occurring as a result.”
Wokingham Borough Council said the lights had been fixed earlier this week, meaning parents can safely use the crossing once again.
Cllr Paul Fishwick, executive member for active travel, transport and highways, said: “Our contractors were out on Tuesday, and replaced the hardware in the traffic lights on Ashridge Road which was causing the fault.
“The lights are now being monitored remotely to ensure the repair remains successful, and we have arranged with our contractors that crossings outside schools are prioritised for a quicker turnaround.”