Basingstoke news and sport from the Basingstoke Gazette

1,000 back plea in pelican campaign

From the archive, first published Wednesday 29th Sep 1999.

PARENTS who fear for the lives of their children crossing a busy Bishopstoke road could be on the verge of a breakthrough in their safety campaign.

Backed by a petition with about 1,000 signatures, they are urging the county council to provide a pelican crossing in Alan Drayton Way between Fox Close and Torwood Gardens.

Now their plea is set to be made to tonight's meeting of Eastleigh Council's Bishopstoke, Fair Oak and Horton Heath local area committee.

Hundreds of children cross the road every day to get to Stoke Park junior and infants schools.

But parents say the lollipop lady takes her life in her hands as traffic speeds down the hill into Alan Drayton Way.

They are calling for a pelican crossing to slow down speedsters and make crossing the road safer for children.

With thousands of new homes in the local development pipeline residents fear that the traffic problem can only get worse.

But tomorrow night Bishopstoke councillor Anne Winstanley will call for Eastleigh Council to "use all means'' to press the case with the county council for a pedestrian crossing to be put near the current school crossing patrol. She said: "It is both appropriate and urgently needed."

She points out that a crossing would not only benefit schoolchildren but also residents living off Alan Drayton Way. It would, she says, also contribute towards the Safer Routes to School initiative.

Converted for the new archive on 25 January 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.

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