Toft Hill school left of 20mph safety scheme – again

COUNTY officers have been accused of doing a desktop exercise and wasting money when deciding which roads in front of schools should get part-time 20mph speed restrictions.
People have been left scratching their heads after schools that have been “crying out” for years for reduced speed limits have been left off the list. Meanwhile, some in cul-de-sacs and quiet residential areas have been included for the safety measure.
Officers say they used the same criteria for all schools in the county.
Two schools in Teesdale, Green Lane Primary School and Teesdale School, have been included on the list of 33, but Toft Hill Primary School, on the busy A68, has been left off.
Part-time 20mph speed limits  were first introduced at 33 schools in 2014 using cash from a one-off public health grant of £952,850.
As the project came out under budget and ahead of schedule, Durham County Council decided another 33 schools could be included, taking the total to 66. Some 219 schools in the county were considered for the safety measure. Pupils and staff at Toft Hill Primary School have been campaigning for speed restrictions on the A68 for years.
Headteacher Janice Stobbs said it seemed to be a waste of money to reduce speeds in front of schools, such as Cockton Hill, which are located in a cul-de-sac or a quiet residential area.
She said: “If anyone had been  to look at what it is like outside our school at 8.45am and 3.15pm they would not leave us off the list. Parents often comment that they don’t understand how no one has been killed on the road outside of school.”
She described how impatient drivers sometimes blast their horns at the school crossing patrol and use their mobile phones while driving past the school. Drivers also do three-point-turns in front of the school. Ms Stobbs added: “I often watch the traffic with my heart in my mouth. If any school deserves a 20mph zone it is Toft Hill.”
She questioned the way the county calculated the risk in front of schools. The current method gives higher points where accidents have involved pedestrians and cyclists than collisions in which people in vehicles are injured.
During the survey period, Toft Hill had ten accidents where vehicle occupants were hurt – which is significantly more than the number of pedestrians and cyclists injured in accidents at some schools  included on the list. 
Ms Stobbs said this is because many schools actively encourage children to walk, cycle or use a scooter to get to school, while pupils are Toft Hill are told not to because of the dangers associated with the A68. The school has persistently campaigned on road safety with children creating scarecrows and designing messages to warn drivers to slow down.
Etherley Parish Council has also been trying to slow traffic in the area and recently formed a community speedwatch scheme to catch errant drivers.
Teesdale county councillor Richard Bell said it seemed that officers had done a “desktop exercise” when deciding which schools to include on the list and will be speaking to highways officers about this.
He added: “The correct approach would be to talk to schools, find out which feel they have a problem and see what can be done.”
However, John Reed, Durham County Council’s head of technical services, said all schools were looked at using the same methodology as agreed by a consultation working group, which included fire and rescue services. He said: “During the process, we took into account not only accident data but also traffic speeds and potential risk to pedestrians.
“If the suggested list of schools is agreed by councillors, we will then begin a detailed design process for each individual school, taking into account a wide range of local factors. This will involve consultation with local stake-holders including local councillors, town and parish councils and the schools.”
While supporting the school’s call for a 20mph restriction in front of the school, county councillor for Toft Hill Heather Smith defended the way officers had compiled the list, saying it is endorsed by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents and Public Health.
She added: “It would be nice to hope that in due course every school could have a 20mph zone outside if the funding were available, but as the chancellor made clear in his autumn statement, austerity is set to continue into the 2020s, financial pressures are with us for the foreseeable future.”
Mr Reed added that in addition to the 33 schools, other schemes that are funded by county councillors, town or parish councils, or the schools themselves could be included.
A decision on expanding the project is to be taken today (Wednesday).