May 2017
southbristolvoice
3
n NEWS
No action to make road safe at school on 2 blind bends STAFF and parents at one of Bristol’s most dangerously situated schools are wondering why nothing has been done to improve road safety more than a year after a series of measures were proposed. Holy Cross Catholic primary school in Dean Lane is on a double blind bend and there have been several accidents nearby. After protests from parents and councillors in February 2016, the council agreed to look into several safety measures including employing a lollipop crossing patrol, enforcing the ‘No Stopping’ hazard markings, and looking into traffic restrictions and speed bumps. Yet a year later: • The hazard markings can’t be enforced because the council hasn’t issued a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO); • A crossing patrol was employed and trained – but never started work, because the post was cut in the council’s emergency spending freeze last November; • Nothing has been heard of any of the proposed changes to the road, such as installing speed cushions, or diverting traffic down Catherine Mead Street and making Dean Lane access-only. • The school is prepared to pay for its own crossing patrol if the council won’t cough up. But when it asked City Hall how to go about this, it got no reply. “We finally got someone to be a lollipop person and then Bristol city council cut the funding,” said head teacher Jo Kingston. The
Left, one of the butterfly plaques made by Holy Cross pupils which will be put up in the area around Dean Lane as part of the Let’s Walk Bedminster safety initiative
concerns that parents and school staff raised last year after a series of accidents on Dean Lane “seems to have just gone away,” said Ms Kingston. Stephen Clarke, Green councillor for Southville, called the delays “ridiculous”. “There needs to be some urgent action,” he said. “This school has an almost uniquely dangerous road configuration with so many blind spots. “I would call it a health and safety emergency.” The council told the Voice that there is no funding for major road works but it is looking “at other measures we could introduce which may provide the opportunity to reduce traffic on Dean Lane and past the school.” It said the yellow lines would not be made enforceable until a review on the Southville residents parking scheme is complete. Cllr Clarke said to wait
End of road for Motaman ONE of the few remaining car accessory shops in Bristol is closing. Motaman in Bedminster Parade was once part of a chain of five shops owned by Yousouf Ramlugon. Motaman was launched in 1985 from the ashes of the failed Motorists Discount Centre (MDC). “The market has completely changed,” said Mr Ramlugon, who came to study in Bristol from Mauritius in the 1970s. He was area manager for MDC in Bristol,
Will you be a friend to park?
and he bought the Bedminster shop from the receiver. “In those days, people did their own repairs and spent money on improving the interior comfort of their cars and the outside appearance. “These days, you almost need a computing degree to work on a car engine.” The building has planning permission for nine flats upstairs but the ground floor is expected to remain a shop.
for the RPS review was “ridiculous – there’s no connection between those things at all.” He praised the council for its recent work in closing Upton Road, outside Ashton Gate primary, as a safety measure. Now it was time to look at Holy Cross, he said. The council said the school would also have to wait for a review of all the school crossing patrols to see if it could get funding. The Voice asked why the school hadn’t even had a reply when it asked how to go about funding a patrol itself. We received no response.
Swinging: South Street park THE FRIENDS of South Street park are appealing for help in dealing with the expected reduction in parks staff and funding. The group meets at 7.30 pm in the park on Thursday May 4, with updates on new seats, more trees for the Bark Park, a new litter bin for the children’s play area, play equipment for older children, and path lighting. If it’s wet, the meeting will be in Mezzaluna on West Street. • facebook.com/fossp • Streets strewn with litter: Page 4 • Park funding fears: Page 8
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Got a story or any other inquiry? Call Paul on 07811 766072 or email paul@southbristolvoice.co.uk