Last updated 13:16, Friday, 05 September 2008

PARKVIEW SCHOOL

I AM writing to warn parents of 11-year-old children about to start at Parkview School in Barrow about the pathetic road safety features provided by the local council.

The council should be presented with a special award for such poor safety measures. In my opinion, this has to be the school with the least safety measures provided for any schoolchildren in the area, if not the county (or even, the country).

If your children are used to zebra or pelican crossings, or slow moving vehicles (speed bumps and 20mph signs), forget it! Traffic hurtles down Park Drive and other roads by the school at a hectic pace.

This is because Park Drive has become a “rat run” to avoid all the other haphazardly-sited speed bumps and traffic lights. Are they still decided by rolling a dice? It’s safer to go shopping at Netto, because the traffic only does 20mph by this shop. Why not move the unnecessary “coffin lid” speed bumps that damage exhausts from Holker Street and put them round Park View school? Even the sixth form college is in a 20mph zone!

Just for a bit of fun, the recent building of the skateboard park attracted more safety signs for the workmen than for the schoolchildren. The answer is simple – get your kids a hard-hat, a pair of workboots, and a pair of jeans, and the resulting risk assessment will see the council erecting loads of safety signs. Sadly, the council probably has no intention of conducting such a risk assessment for the kids at Parkview School.

I have written three letters to the authorities, and never received an explanation. So Evening Mail, could other worried parents let you know if they have written similar letters and what reply they received?

If the council can’t afford a bit of paint for these roads (rumble strips etc), why are they paying a company to ask the public if they want Portland Walk improved?

Why do they bother to ask? They’ll just ignore what the council tax payers say anyway.

Oh well, nice shopping areas must be more important than children’s safety.

Barrow council, take note. With dark mornings ahead, do something and do it now! And fix the streetlights on the roads near this school (unlike last winter).

Oh, and Barrow public, rumour is that the next “wonderful” idea of the council will be to make Jubilee Bridge to Walney one way! (And no, they won’t be building another bridge). Think about it.Why do I pay these people who in my opinion are buffoons, when they don’t do what I, and other parents want?Apologies, but the sarcasm checker on my computer has been disabled.

MR D PRATT

Derby Street

Barrow