PLANS to introduce a new drop-off zone and speed limit in a move to prevent serious safety issues and traffic problems outside a school have been backed by Westmorland and Furness Council.
Cabinet Member for Highways and Assets Councillor Peter Thornton met outside Old Hutton Primary School in Kendal with Andy Brown, the council’s senior manager for highways to witness firsthand the dangers that exist during peak hours.
Local councillors Hazel Hodgson and Ian Mitchell also attended the roadside meeting along with headteacher Nick Turley and parish councillors John Shorrock and Chris Nelson.
Parish Council Chairman John Heap outlined plans to create the new drop-off zone for parents and to reduce the speed limit on the B6254 to 20 mph.
He said: “We have explored a number of different options to solve the safety threats and congestion arising from parents dropping off and picking up their children.
“We are hugely proud of the school which is very successful and now has more than 100 pupils, but the issue needs to be dealt with before a tragedy happens.
“Parking to drop off and pick up children often reduces the road to single-lane traffic which exacerbates the dangerous traffic problems outside the school.
“Creating a new drop-off zone requires a 20 mph speed limit on this stretch of the road and a combination of these two measures will significantly reduce the risk to children, parents and residents.”
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