Residents call for action after CHILD is HIT BY CAR on busy road outside Northampton secondary school

A child was reportedly hit by a car outside a home on Booth Lane South on Friday morning (June 6), sparking fresh calls from residents for urgent safety measures near Weston Favell Academy.

The collision happened just metres from the school entrance, on a stretch of road that remains a 30mph zone – despite repeated requests from residents to bring it in line with the 20mph limit just up the road outside Boothville Primary School.

One resident, who asked not to be named, told the Chronicle and Echo: “We have repeatedly raised concerns with West Northamptonshire Council (WNC) about the dangers along this part of Booth Lane South. While the road becomes a 20mph zone just 200 metres north, the stretch in front of our homes remains at 30mph – despite being densely residential and directly outside a school.

“Today, the consequences of ignoring those warnings became devastatingly clear. The child who was hit had just been dropped off by a parent who, like many others, chose not to use the large designated car park and drop-off zone at the school. Instead, they stopped in the road outside a private residence. Although a zebra crossing is just 60 metres away, the child ran into the road from between parked cars and was struck by a southbound driver. The driver was travelling at the speed limit – possibly over – and had no chance to avoid the collision.”

The resident continued: “Parents stopping in the road, blocking junctions, double parking, and ignoring the Highway Code is an everyday occurrence here. Children are frequently seen exiting cars without supervision and running across the road without checking for traffic. We’ve asked the school repeatedly to intervene and promote safer drop-off practices, but very little has changed.

“Friday’s incident was preventable. And unless action is taken now, it could happen again. We are calling on the council and the school to act immediately. This road has become a danger zone during school hours. The council and school must act now before this becomes a fatality.”

The residents say they want to see WNC:

• Extend the 20mph speed limit to include this section of Booth Lane South

• Install dropped kerbs to improve visibility and pedestrian safety

• Hold the school accountable for ensuring responsible drop-off behaviour from parents

WNC issued a brief statement following the incident, saying: “We are sad to hear of this incident and wish those involved a full recovery. The council will engage with the school to understand the issues within the area and how we can support them in addressing safety concerns.”

A spokesperson for the Academy, said: “The health and safety of our entire school community is of the utmost importance and as soon as we became aware of this incident, we took immediate action, following our robust safeguarding procedures and providing the appropriate support.

“Ensuring drop-off and pick-up times are as safe as possible, we always have staff present during these times and regularly communicate with our families to remind them of our safe and responsible driving expectations. We also make a point of working closely with the police and council to further enhance the safety at drop-off and pick-up times, when appropriate, and encourage anyone with concerns to contact the school directly.”

This isn’t the first time Chronicle and Echo has reported on concerns about road safety on Booth Lane South, an issue that has been persistent over a number of years now with no solution yet found, say residents.