Agenda item

The lead petitioner addressed the Cabinet Member and made the following points:

• The petitioner thanked Councillor Riley for attending
• The petitioner claimed that she was representing 320+ children aged from 7 to 11 years old
• The petitioner asked rhetorically “while the officer was writing his report, did he have the opportunity to stand in Ladygate Lane to witness first-hand what drop-off and pick-up was like for the children going to school?”
• Councillor Corthorne had met with the petitioner on many instances and therefore had a good understanding of petitioners’ concerns regarding the safety of children crossing this very busy road
• The safety of children crossing was particularly prevalent at pick-up time when most children came out of school all at once at around 3:30pm
• At drop-off there was a wider window in terms of time frame to get to school
• It was at pick-up that there is an extremely high density of children crossing the road to get home all at once
• Parents and/ or carers parked on double yellow lines and in some instances double parked, blocking the road. They also parked on kerbs, blocking residents’ driveways
• On paragraph 3 of the officer’s report, a safe place to cross would also be beneficial for patients visiting the doctor's surgery, many of whom were elderly
• On paragraph 5, if the zebra crossing, which was located directly opposite the Infant’s school main entrance, had been built halfway between the two schools, so that children from both schools could benefit from a safe crossing in the road, this hearing may not have been necessary. It would have been a cost-effective and fairer way of providing the children of both schools with a safe way to get to school. From personal experience, it was not a practical solution for the children from Whiteheath Junior School to walk all the way to the entrance of the Infant school to cross the road and then have to make their way all the way back to their school. During the school run, every minute counted. Walking 250m to the pedestrian crossing and then all the way back again, especially with the younger children attending the Junior school, was not convenient and would add 7-10 minutes to the school run in the mornings, depending on the age of the children.  Driving around the borough, including Ruislip, Uxbridge, Ickenham and Pinner, among others, Whiteheath Junior School was one of only a couple, if not the only school without a zebra crossing close to the school.
• One paragraph 6, the safety concerns in this petition were not with the school’s separate dedicated entrance, Whiteheath Avenue, but having to cross one of the main arteries into school, Ladygate Lane, to get to the separate entrance, where there were currently little or no safety measures for children crossing this busy road. It was wonderful to hear of all the great road safety initiatives, but again, these were predominantly concentrated in Whiteheath Avenue. With regards to the voluntary ‘one-way’ system, a good initiative, and although parents and/ or carers were encouraged to agree to this one-way system, it cannot be enforced, and if something cannot be enforced, it is not fool proof. Unfortunately, members of the public who drive up and down this road were not aware of the voluntary ‘one-way’ system so there will always be vehicles driving in the opposite direction during the school run. The area of concern for the petitioners was not Whiteheath Avenue – where the school’s entrance was located – it was crossing one the busy main arteries to get to school. 

Councillor John Riley addressed the Cabinet Member as Ward Councillor for Ruislip, and made the following points:

• As Cabinet Member some time ago dealing with these sorts of petitions and dealing with the issues in Ladygate Lane and the two schools, a 20mph speed limit was introduced, which was regularly ignored
• Councillor Riley was often asked to go and watch what was happening
• It was difficult to park and drop off children at both schools, which also meant that it was dangerous for children to cross at any stage. People often had to take their life in their hands when taking children especially to the Junior School, which did not have any sort of safety crossing at that point
• The request for some sort of safety crossing further up may sound in geographical terms as if it was not very much, but it would make a big difference because there were a lot of other children trying to get to school
• The reason for the request between the schools and Marlborough Avenue was that this tended to be the area where cars were building up speed, even though they came to the 20mph zone
• There had been a lot of work in Ladygate Lane such as lorry restrictions, and speed limit, but because there were two schools it was amazingly busy
• What was being asked for was as safe a crossing as possible for children and for adults bringing their children to school
• There had been so many near misses and it was very dangerous
• Having a formalised crossing would be very welcome and was something that all three Ward Councillors supported

Councillor Riley read out a submission from Councillor Philip Corthorne as Ward Councillor:

• Councillor Corthorne was unable to be present to speak on the item owing to Deputy Mayor duties, and was grateful to Councillor Riley for doing so
• Councillor Corthorne had met the petitioner on the site some months ago to discuss their concerns and those of other parents regarding the hazards of crossing Ladygate Lane with children on school days heading from the general direction of Bury Street
• The extensive works which had been carried out in recent years elsewhere in Ladygate Lane were acknowledged, but there was no doubt that the concerns raised were valid
• Noting the third officer recommendation, it was hoped that engagement with petitioners could continue in terms of what might be possible to alleviate their concerns

Officers noted that there were always challenges around schools. It was an emotive subject for both the school community and nearby residents. It was noted that none of the petition signatories lived in Ladygate Lane. Whenever there was a proposal, it would require the support of those who lived nearby. The existing crossing was installed 10-15 years ago. At that time there were issues around crossing the road for the Infant School and issues for the Junior School were not of the extent that they were now. A lot of work had been done around Whiteheath Avenue: there was a camera-enforced keep clear area; and a voluntary one-way system. The Junior school worked closely with officers and were commended for this, and the school had presented to the Cabinet Member previously. It was noted that there was some atrocious behaviour by a small minority such as parking across driveways and doing U-turns in the middle of the junction. Further work would be undertaken with petitioners, residents, Ward Councillors, and the schools. There were a number of actions that could be explored such as extending the existing 20mph zone. This would require a formal consultation. If a zebra crossing were to be implemented it was noted that people often did not use them depending on their specific location. One location, between the junctions of Marlborough Avenue and Whiteheath Avenue, might on the face of it seem to be an ideal location, as there was an existing raised table here, but there was a private driveway which presented a significant challenge in terms of locations. This would similarly prove to be a challenge wherever in this section of Ladygate Lane a formal zebra crossing might be considered. Officers also picked up on the petitioner’s comment earlier in the meeting, to the effect that “during the school run, every minute counted” and made the point that parents and guardians in their cars being impatient and inconsiderate was, sadly, a part of the problem.

The Cabinet Member noted that he had mixed views on zebra crossings. The state of parking during school drop-off and pick-up times was disappointing and it was suggested that parking enforcement could visit the area. The provision of parking tickets may encourage people to behave more responsibly. There were concerns that if a zebra crossing was introduced, people may just park on the zigzag lines as had been witnessed in other locations. There was a wider concern that unless the zebra crossing was located in the right place, people may just continue to cross the road where they want to, which may render the crossing as not cost effective. It was noted that the cost of zebra crossings was not insignificant and the money generally came from TfL. It was noted that Ladygate Lane was used as a cut through. Speeding was a police matter, not a Council matter, and the existing speed table was noted. Whiteheath Junior School has been very proactive in getting its children and parents to behave responsibly when it came to picking up and dropping off. The Council had given the school a grant towards a cycle to school campaign, and cycle officers supported the school on a regular basis. The school had also taken part in the Living Streets’ Walk to School challenge. It was noted that often people were keen on a zebra crossing until it was suggested to be outside of their house. From police statistics there had not been any serious accidents. Residents were encouraged to speak to their local policing team who may be able to obtain a speed gun to use.

RESOLVED: That the Cabinet Member for Property, Highways and Transport:

1)    Met with petitioners and listened to their request for a Zebra Crossing on Ladygate Lane close to Marlborough Avenue;

2)    Noted the excellent work being undertaken by the Council’s dedicated ‘School Travel and Road Safety Team’ (STARS) with the two Whiteheath schools and to promote this highly beneficial partnership;

3)    Asked officers to undertake further detailed investigations on a possible Zebra Crossing or other appropriate measures on Ladygate Lane; and

4)    Asked officers to investigate parking enforcement in the area