Children in Oxfordshire plead for urgent safety measures following serious crashes
The petition has 375 signatures, and the council will respond to them within 10 working days of the meeting.
Children are taking matters into their own hands as they plead for urgent safety measures on a city road which has experienced a number of serious crashes.
Barton Park Primary School in Headington near the A40 opened in 2020, and residents and staff have campaigned for years for safety measures to be introduced.
The road which runs in front of the school, Barton Fields Road, has not been adopted by Oxfordshire County Council, which means it is not covered by 20mph speed limits.
In February, a cyclist with a child sat on the back of his bicycle was hit by a car while navigating the Barton Park crossing at the A40 junction.
They received minor injuries and were treated at John Radcliffe Hospital.
Now headteacher of Barton Park Primary School, Bryony McCraw, has set up a new petition calling for the county council to adopt the road so that it can introduce a 20mph speed limit, a safe road crossing and traffic calming measures, such as speed bumps or speed cameras.
She and five of the school’s pupils presented the petition at the full county council meeting on Tuesday, April 1.
Pupil Imogen, aged 11, said at the meeting: “We are now in our fifth year of waiting for the road to be adopted and safety measures put in.
“This is now irresponsible and unacceptable.
“The safety of the children in our school has to be moved up the council to do list.”
The children also held up pictures of the damage to the school caused by road accidents.
The petition has 375 signatures, and the council will respond to them within 10 working days of the meeting.
The pupils took part in a protest outside the school to urge the county council to take action in November 2023.
An Oxfordshire County Council spokesperson said: “We understand the school’s concerns and share its frustration.
“We are working with the developer to progress the necessary legal paperwork to allow the adoption of the roads to take place.
“We are also in discussions with the developer regarding road safety measures in the proximity of the school and the rest of the estate’s spine road.”
Andrew Gant, cabinet member for transport management, said: “Issues around getting roads adopted when a new development is built can be complex and time-consuming, affecting our ability to do things we would like to do.
“I fully share the frustration of local people and the staff and pupils at Barton Park Primary School at the slow progress on adoptions, and the legal and administrative hurdles, and I re-state my determination and commitment to solving them and delivering the safety improvements we all want to see.”