Call for pedestrian crossing in Ludlow gains momentum

A campaign to get a pedestrian crossing put on Ludlow's Old Street is being spearheaded by the children of nearby St Laurence's Primary School after fears were raised over the "chaos" on the road during the daily school run.

Now campaigners have presented their case to Shropshire Council officers, who have agreed to review the road.

Roger Curry, proprietor at Bodenham's department store in Ludlow, is a governor at St Laurence's.

The 48-year-old father of two said he was alarmed by the speed of traffic on the road, which came to his attention last year when his then-four-year-old daughter began running down Friars Walk, which connects with Old Street.

"Many parents use Friars Walk as a back way into the school," he said.

"I noticed how vulnerable children, particularly of that age, are. Children like to run.

"We're in an area where the roads are very quiet - and then you get to Old Street.

"The visuals there are horrific, there's a bend in the road and there are often cars parked on the side of the road.

"Mothers come with their prams and they're almost having to stick them out into the road to look.

"If children come out of there, even walking, traffic does not have the time to stop."

He said with Busy Bodies childcare centre a little further up, the road could be "chaos" in the morning with parents bringing and dropping children off at the same time as motorists rushed to get to work.

"It's a fast road, and cars don't stick to 30mph," he said.

"Something needs to be done before someone gets hurt.

"As one of the health and safety governors of the school, I see it as a priority now.

"It should be our responsibility as a town to protect our children."

Ludlow South councillor Vivienne Parry said she and Ludlow North councillor Andy Boddington had been working together on the matter.

She said: "Drivers are often going at some speed as they come downhill out of the 20mph limit. Some put their foot down as they go uphill towards the town centre."

She said it was the school that first raised the issue with her, and she had visited with highways officers from Shropshire Council, where the children gave a presentation of the case for a crossing.

"I thought it would be the teachers, but it was all the children who have been out and about looking into it.

"They have been going from door to door asking people if they would like a pedestrian crossing."

Kate Guilford, Year 6 teacher St Laurence's, said it was head teacher Stephen Matthews' idea to get the children themselves involved.

"They have written down all the pros and cons and done a questionnaire which they have given to all the residents on Old Street.

"The response was massively positive.

"The children have also been to London to see (Ludlow MP) Philip Dunne and presented it to him at Westminster.

"He has written a letter of support to Shropshire Council. The wheels are in motion."

Mr Dunne was visiting the school for an update on progress today.

Cllr Parry added: "Elderly people also need a safe crossing to and from the sheltered housing at the Fees."

She said residents in surrounding streets had raised a petition that already had about 40 signatures.

"Last year we had about four crashes. It's an accident waiting to happen."

Highways officers have agreed to conduct a survey of traffic speeds and pedestrian movements, she said.