Bid to see 20mph zones installed outside all Northamptonshire schools fails to win approval

A proposal to enforce 20mph zones and a range of safety measures outside of Northamptonshire schools failed to win the support of Conservatives at County Hall - even though one member revealed a man had been knocked over in his ward.
A Labour motion to kerb school parking and traffic problems was voted down by councillors.A Labour motion to kerb school parking and traffic problems was voted down by councillors.
A Labour motion to kerb school parking and traffic problems was voted down by councillors.

The Labour group's motion was voted down at the full council on Thursday (September 21).

It asked the authority to enforce 20mph limits outside schools, to prevent parking on corners, to introduce dropped kerbs and limit double parking.

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It also called on new schools to be planned away from main roads and completed with marked drop-off points for parents.

Proposing it, Councillor Mick Scrimshaw (Lab, Northall), said: "I don't see anything in that that can't be supported by Northamptonshire County Council, or anything the county council can help with.

"Parking and schools and dropping off in the morning can be atrocious. It genuinely is a disaster waiting to happen.

"We can't just wait for that to happen."

But Conservatives felt the motion was too broad to support.

Councillor Adam Brown (Con, Bugbrooke) revealed a "young man" was knocked down outside of Campion School in Bugbrooke on "Monday last". The collision left the man with a concussion.

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But he said he could not support the broad motion, despite acknowledging that traffic outside of schools was a genuine problem.

"While I do agree with the diagnosis of the events, I do believe the prescription leaves much to be desired," he said.

"Many of the measures outlined in the motion are already being undertaken through our Safer Routes to School programme."

A total of 208 schools in the county have already been surveyed as part of the scheme, the Councillor added, including Campion School.

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Councilor Matthew Golby (Con, Duston and St Crispin) the cabinet member for children and young families, said he could not support the Labour motion, even though he agreed with the principle of making travel to school safer.

"When I first read this motion I wanted to find a way of agreeing with it," he said.

"But when you break it down it covers all sorts of areas that are not our responsibility."