‘Do you want to kill my child?’, mother’s fears as 60mph cars pass Warley school
Parents and pupils protesting outside the school. Picture: Jan West - Credit: Archant
The revelation that cars can hurtle past a school at 60mph prompted one mum to ask the council “do you want to kill my child?”.
Two parents have already been clipped by cars on the country lane that passes Ursuline Preparatory School, Great Ropers Lane, Warley, but Essex Highways has placed national speed limit signs on the road.
Pupils and parents protested outside the school last week during the school holidays to call for a change to protect their safety.
Head teacher Pauline Wilson has been asking the council to make the road safer for 15 years and Brentwood and Ongar MP Eric Pickles visited and expressed his concern.
Mrs Wilson said: “Until the sign was put up, people didn’t realise it was 60mph, they thought it was much lower.
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“It’s very busy road in the morning with people cutting through to the M25. Every driver realises it’s 60 now.”
The school has petitioned and receiving 200 signatures and up to 30 parents have written to the council asking for the sign to come down.
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One email, from Louise Thornton, 48, mother of two children at the school, had its subject line saying “do you want to kill my child?”.
Mrs Wilson said: “They [Essex County Council] are saying nothing serious has happened but it’s about prevention rather than cure.
“The incidents could have been a child rather than an adult.”
As Essex Highways installed the derestricted speed sign on Great Ropers Lane as it reduced the speed limit on the adjacent Warley Road.
An Essex Highways spokesman said: “The speed signs have been installed as the speed limit along the B186 has been lowered and the regulations require the start of the speed limit that is on Great Ropers Lane to be signed.
“The speed limit on Great Ropers Lane has not been changed - it was and is still a national speed limit.
“If local residents wish to forward a proposal for a 20mph speed limit, this would need to go through the Local Highways Panel (LHP) process for consideration.”
