Boost for campaign to lower speed limit near school

2 days ago

George King,Suffolkand

Joao Santos,Local Democracy reporter

Bosses at Bucklesham Primary School have long-called for the speed limit on the nearby Brightwell Road to be reduced

Google Maps A Google Maps streetview image taken from the outside Bucklesham Primary School. It includes the main school building, in front of which there are green bushes and a tree. — Bosses at Bucklesham Primary School have long-called for the speed limit on the nearby Brightwell Road to be reduced

A campaign calling for the speed limit on a road near a school to be reduced has been given a boost after a 25 year campaign.

Bucklesham Primary School and Bucklesham Parish Council have been calling for the speed limit on Brightwell Road, in Bucklesham, Suffolk, to be lowered for more than two decades.

It is currently 60mph but, on Tuesday, East Suffolk Council awarded the parish council £10,000 to fund the necessary next steps needed to apply to get it reduced to 40mph.

Suffolk County Council will make the final decision on whether to reduce the speed limit as the county's highways authority.

Bucklesham Primary School headteacher, Rachael Rudge, emphasised the need to ensure the safety of her students

Vikki Irwin/BBC Rachael Rudge smiles at the camera. She has dark hair which has been tied back and she has a fringe. She stands outside on a sunny day with trees and bushes behind her. — Bucklesham Primary School headteacher, Rachael Rudge, emphasised the need to ensure the safety of her students

Rachael Rudge, headteacher at the school, located on Main Road, said every school should be able to implement the measures needed to ensure children's safety.

"Children walk along and cross the 60mph road — luckily, we have not had any near-misses, but they're quite rightly scared," she said.

"It will be massive for the safety of the children."

The school and the parish council first called for the speed limit to be lowered - initially to 30mph - some 25 years ago, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The issue then recently resurfaced when Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, MP for Suffolk Coastal, took pupils to hand deliver a petition to Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer calling for road safety measures for every primary school in the constituency.

"This is a major step forward for the school and the young students – and a big thanks to East Suffolk Council for approving and funding Bucklesham Parish's application," said Ms Riddell-Carpenter.

"But we can't be complacent – there is a lot more yet that we need to do to improve road safety at the school gates – here at Bucklesham Primary and right across Suffolk Coastal."

Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, Suffolk Coastal MP, described the move as a "major step forward for the school"

Ben Parker/BBC Jenny Riddell-Carpenter smiles at the camera. She has dark blonde hair that is tied back. — Jenny Riddell-Carpenter, Suffolk Coastal MP, described the move as a "major step forward for the school"

The money will be used to cover the legal costs of setting up a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) — the mechanism which allows local authorities to implement road restrictions, such as on speed limits.

Caroline Topping, leader of East Suffolk Council, said the authority recognised the importance of road safety in the lives of communities.

"This is a major safety issue for children getting to and from school and, while not typically something the authority funds as a district council, we are pleased to support Bucklesham Parish Council in delivering this project for safety, health and wellbeing," she said.

The speed limit on Brightwell Road is currently 60mph but could be lowered to 40mph

Google Maps A Google Maps street view image of Brightwell Road. It is empty but a car appears to be travelling on it from the distance. On the left of the image - and the road - there are green bushes, and on the right, there is a tree with green leaves. — The speed limit on Brightwell Road is currently 60mph but could be lowered to 40mph

The parish council believes reducing the speed on Brightwell Road will create a "ripple effect of measures" designed to keep children and their families safe when travelling to school.

It is also now looking to implement a '20 is Plenty' zone outside the front of the school.