By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
A county councillor says calls for a zebra crossing outside several schools on a Mapperley road are “worthy of more consideration” after children and parents warned it is becoming unsafe to cross.
A petition with 817 signatures was submitted to Nottinghamshire County Council in November calling for the crossing to be installed in Digby Avenue.
The area has been described as a “racetrack” with motorists driving down at “ridiculous speeds”, and concerns over road safety leading to the petition being organised by a four-year-old school pupil.
The petition called for a raised zebra crossing to be installed to prevent cars from speeding down the 30mph road.
Now the council has confirmed a pedestrian and traffic survey will be undertaken on Digby Avenue to determine whether the crossing should be prioritised for future funding.
An alternative assessment will also be carried out to determine whether any other solutions could be considered to help alleviate the problems on Digby Avenue.
Responding to the survey during the transport and environment committee on Wednesday (March 23), Councillor Neil Clarke (Con), chairman of the committee, said he thinks there is scope for the crossing.
“I have received some representations regarding this petition and I do know the road myself as well, and I think this is worthy of further investigation and further survey,” he said.
“[This is] given the fact that the previous survey was done, I believe, during more pronounced Covid times, and I think this is worthy of more consideration.
“I would like to ensure that a re-investigation of a crossing is included in the options for this.”
The initial petition was presented to full council in November by Cllr John Clarke (Lab), leader of Gedling Borough Council and division member for Arnold South.
Speaking in the November meeting, Cllr Clarke said: “Anybody who knows of Digby Avenue in Mapperley will know that it’s a racetrack.
“The idiots drive down there at ridiculous speeds, there’s a very good special school on one side and a very good junior and infant school on the other.
“This is not just a petition, this is raised by a four-year-old child who has been the driver behind this.
“It’s also a cross-party, cross-generation issue because our local MP Tom Randall (Con), Michelle Welsh my Labour colleague and all our Gedling councillors are in support of this.
“This road is in serious need of some traffic calming.”
And Labour members on the transport and environment committee have welcomed Cllr Clarke’s response to the petition.
Cllr Glynn Gilfoyle (Lab), who represents Worksop East, spoke on behalf of Cllrs John Clarke and Michelle Welsh and called on the committee chairman to meet with his colleagues at the site.
He said: “We really support a zebra crossing for that particular area.
“There is a nursery, an infant and a junior school, a school with special needs and a multi-use game area and a care home all in close proximity to that area.
“This road is used very highly by children and the original requests actually came from children within the school. This relates to the schools even supporting a crossing in this area because it was much-needed.
“Our councillors are requesting a site visit with them and for a full report to be published in relation to this area.”
Sean Parkes, a council spokesperson, told Cllr Gilfoyle the crossing is “still definitely on the cards” ahead of the upcoming survey, but said the potential site visit shouldn’t take place until the assessments have concluded.
