Parents call for action as passing vehicles mount pavement outside schools

Local mum Jade Wootton along with other parents has launched a petition to introduce a one-way system on Kilnwell Road in Market Rasen, which runs directly past nurseries and a primary school.

Jade says it is difficult for two vehicles to pass safely on the narrow residential road without mounting the pavements and this has been made worse by an increase in traffic diverting away from electrical roadworks on Queen Street - the main route through the town - by Northern Powergrid. Although road‑closure signs and a diversion route has been set up, some drivers are still ignoring them.

She said the works have highlighted just how unsuitable the road is for larger vehicles attempting to pass each other. Jade said vehicles are mounting the kerb on a daily basis to pass one another while parents and young children are walking to and from the nearby nursery and primary school.

Jade said: "Recently, several parents, including myself, have had to step off the pavement to avoid vehicles mounting the kerb while attempting to pass each other. In some cases larger vans and commercial vehicles have been involved.

"The Co-op car park is the designated parking area used by many parents, and the Kilnwell Road entrance is the main entrance used for early years and pre-school children, meaning families regularly need to walk along this stretch of pavement."

The school also uses this route to walk groups of children to church during the school day.

The aim of the petition is to ensure that appropriate safety measures are put in place to protect pedestrians, particularly children walking to and from school.

Ashley Behan, Traffic Manager at Lincolnshire County Council said the authority is "extremely concerned and disappointed" that some motorists have been deliberately driving on the footway to get through.

“This is entirely unacceptable and should be reported through to the police when witnessed."

But he went on to say: "“Our experience of implementing temporary one-way closures is that a significant amount of road users will violate the closure, which causes increased hazards to everyone on the route.

“Furthermore, it is likely that a one-way closure would move traffic onto other minor routes, which has the potential to cause knock-on effects in other areas.

“Northern Power Grid has placed additional signs at both ends of Kilnwell Road encouraging through traffic to use the official diversion route. There is an official diversion set up for these works and it is strongly advised that this route is followed.”

Local county and district councillor Stephen Bunney said the town’s road network was never designed for modern traffic. "Many roads are narrow with sharp bends, leading vehicles to mount pavements and putting pedestrians at risk.

"Residents and the Town Council have long called for a one‑way system to improve traffic flow and pedestrian safety, but no suitable solution that satisfies all parties has yet been agreed.

"In the last three years Market Rasen Church of England Primary school, working with the council, managed to get Lincolnshire County Council to recognise the risk of a traffic accident to children who walk to and from school and instituted a school crossing patrol by the John Street crossroads."

But he said the essential electrical works have made conditions on side streets even worse. "At the council’s request, additional and clearer signage was added after the first two days of closure, and warnings have been placed on sat nav systems to advise that the road is closed to through‑traffic and large vehicles.

"Market Rasen Town Council has also commissioned new signs to warn drivers about pedestrians on footpaths. These will be installed on Kilnwell Road and surrounding streets in the coming days. Drivers are urged to take extra care, and at school times pedestrians are advised to use the school crossing patrol on John Street."

Northern Powergrid says the roadworks should be completed by April 3.