Protect the children: Rasen Mayor’s urgent road safety plea

‘The traffic is horrendous… it’s dangerous… there’s no protection for the kids’ - that is the message from the Market Rasen mayor who is campaigning for improved road safety outside a town school.
De Aston School EMN-190802-143409001De Aston School EMN-190802-143409001
De Aston School EMN-190802-143409001

De Aston School in the 30mph stretch of Willingham Road does not currently have any of the usual traffic calming measures often seen outside schools.

And Market Rasen Town Council is determined to change that.

Councillors have arranged a meeting with Lincolnshire County Council’s portfolio holder for highways, Richard Davis to explain the seriousness of the problem.

Town Mayor John Matthews, speaking at the authority’s February meeting, said: “At the primary School on Mill Road [in Market Rasen], the whole of the front of the school has zig zag, ‘no parking’ lines.

“It’s an offence to park too close to the school.

“For whatever reason, outside De Aston, that’s not happened, and it’s [the school] on a slight bend.

“There are 954 kids in that school.

“Parents drop off on Willingham Road.

“Over 200 kids are town residents, the majority of them walk.

“The traffic is horrendous in the morning and it’s dangerous.

“Apart from that little lay-by there’s no protection for the kids.

“The headteacher approached the council for support, which we will give.”

The meeting with Coun Richard Davis is due to take place on Tuesday, March 26, and Coun Matthews is keen to get highways officers and the police to come along as well.

Coun Matthews said: “We might as well get the other two [senior highways officers] down here as well and we can get them down to school.

“If possible, I’d like the police [to come to the meeting].”

Speaking at Market Rasen Town Council’s January meeting, Deputy Mayor Coun Steve Bunney said: “There are major issues outside the secondary school.

“We may need to meet with people from highways [department at the county council].

“The headmaster will be writing to the council about it.”

The Rasen Mail contacted Lincolnshire County Council for a comment on this story.

Councillor Richard Davies, executive member for highways, said: “Helping children get to school safely is a priority for us.

“I’ll be meeting with the school and the town council next month to listen to their concerns and discuss what action could be taken.”

• At the time of going to press, De Aston School headteacher Simon Porter had not responded to the request for a comment.