New school crossing on one of Peterborough busiest roads
A new pedestrian crossing on one of Peterborough’s busiest roads has been installed outside a city primary school to help keep youngsters safe.
Work was recently completed on the crossing outside Newark Hill Academy in Eastfield Road, between Parnwell and the city centre.
The new crossing has been installed following calls for safety measures in the area and work by councillors in Dogsthorpe and East ward, along with the council's highways team.
The school previously had a crossing patrol officer – also known as a lollipop lady – but this role was removed as part of cash saving measures during the curt council's 2024/25 budget setting process.
After the decision was announced, parents of children at the school – and others where crossing patrols were being cut – held protests in a bid to keep crossings, such as the one on Eastfield Road, safe.
While patrol officers could not be kept on, new crossings were agreed.
Officially cutting the ribbon to open the crossing, Councillor Angus Ellis, Cabinet Member for Transport, said: "I'm absolutely delighted that this new crossing is now open, just in time for the start of the new school year in September and would like to thank everyone involved for completing this job in good time.
"By installing this crossing, it shows that we listen to concerns and take action to ensure that everyone can use our highways safely, which is our utmost priority. In this case, I'm sure that the crossing will have a positive effect, especially for local school children travelling to and from school."