Northampton woman fears 'nightmare' school run could be harming unsuspecting students
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A Northampton street with two schools in it has been blasted as a 'pollution nightmare' during peak times by a concerned resident who lives nearby.
Rosemary Brown, who lives near both Malcolm Arnold Academy and Fairfield School in Trinity Avenue, described the school run on Friday afternoon (June 18) as 'chaos'.
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Hide AdHundreds of students are shuttled in and out of school every day on buses and in parents' cars via the single-lane Trinity Avenue, which is a 0.4 mile stretch of road.
Rosemary said: "I was absolutely shocked after Friday. I experienced first hand at 3pm on Friday the gridlock and pollution with the parents cars picking up children from Malcolm Arnold Academy, which were competing with the school buses trying to get out of Fairfield School.
"I was shocked - especially with all the warning that we are having regarding schools and pollution - that no one is addressing this problem
"No-one was moving. One of the drivers of the buses got out and was asking another driver to move but nothing happened. It was absolutely deadlocked. Chaos.
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Hide Ad"I wrote to my MP, Michael Ellis, and he said it's not a government issue and that I should contact the local authority, but these days getting hold of them is a nightmare.
"I just think about that girl in London who died. In this day and age the authorities should be looking at it. We're not ignorant anymore, are we?"
Rosemary is referring to Ella Adoo-Kissi-Debrah, who lived near the South Circular Road in Lewisham and died in 2013.
An inquest had found air pollution "made a material contribution" to her death.
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Hide AdAccording to experts, air pollution appears to cause or contribute to a variety of health conditions. The effects of air pollution on a person’s health can range from mild breathing difficulties to severe cardiovascular issues, including heart disease and stroke.
Rosemary went on to say: "I am surprised no one else has raised this issue. They should stagger the hours so students leave at different times."
Malcolm Arnold Academy and Fairfields School have not yet commented on the issue at the time of writing.
West Northamptonshire Council has also been contacted for comment.