Mother petitions to get traffic controls outside White Waltham school

A mother of children at White Waltham C of E Academy is petitioning for traffic-calming measures outside the school to curb ‘terrifying’ driving.

The academy is ‘one of the only schools in Maidenhead … to not currently benefit from any form of traffic controlling measures,’ the petition reads.

“The lack of signage and speed restrictions has been creating safety issues for many years.

“These dangers are compounded, in particular, by the extremely narrow paths leading to the school.”

This means that children and parents have ‘mere inches’ between themselves and vehicles ‘travelling at often high speeds.’

There are also issues of overtaking and speeding at pick-up and drop-off times ‘ongoing’ and frequent ‘near misses.’

“[Given this,] it would be prudent for the council to look into installing speed bumps and/or cameras and also ‘Children Crossing’ signage both outside, and in the immediate vicinity, of the school,” the petition reads.

Speaking to the Advertiser, petition leader Caroline Matthews said:

“There are events weekly that make me think something needs to be done.

“In the morning when you’re walking along the very narrow path – about one-person wide – there are cars flying past.

“Some of them are these huge HGVs which use that road as a through-road connecting Warfield to Maidenhead.

“It’s just terrifying. It’s an accident waiting to happen,” she said.

“A month or so ago, a car was hit and knocked into the path of children walking along that narrow bit. Altogether it just fills me with dread.

“My children are at that school for at least another five years, but it's not just them. It's the children that are going to be going there afterwards too.”

The issue has been bubbling away for several years.

In 2020, the nine-year-old daughter of Councillor Simon Werner – then leader of the Lib Dem opposition – started a petition demanding traffic-calming measures (without his involvement).

This received more than a thousand signatures, said Caroline – but could not be considered by RBWM because many of the signatories were fellow pupils under the age of 18.

Parents and the school have long been discussing the issue, she added, and emailing councillors at RBWM.

Staff at White Waltham CE said the school ‘have been talking about this for so many years.’

A council spokesperson said: “The council takes highways safety seriously - the safety of all road users and pedestrians is paramount. To inform our approach at specific locations, we monitor recorded accident and speed data, where available, alongside considering road user feedback and suggestions from residents and communities.

“The council completed a speed survey of this particular road in 2021, recording 20,714 vehicles over 10 days, however the data does not indicate a habitual speeding issue there. There was one collision recorded in June 2022, however this was not considered to be speed related.

“Just prior to the school, the road also has warning signs on both sides, consisting of warning triangles of a school and flashing lights that requires motorists to lower their speed to 20mph when active, which is at school drop off/pick up times.

“Regarding petitions, any petitions created within the council’s own e-petition system are responded to according to the council’s petitions protocol.

“While e-petitions cannot be accepted from any other e-petition website, because the council is unable to verify signatories, we remain open to listening to feedback about highways safety and we are happy to speak with the petitioner and the school about this matter.”

This petition is on Change.org and has 195 signatures at the time of going to print. View it at: chng.it/65HVg5WptN