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Councillor Rachel Burgess presented the petition to Wokingham Borough Council in February.

Here is what she said:

“Parents in my ward of Norreys contacted me last year to raise serious concerns for the safety of children walking from Norreys to The Holt School across Milton Road.

“Many Norreys residents use the new greenway through Cantley park, but this comes out abruptly on this very busy road at a three–way mini roundabout and there is currently no safe crossing point for students to get to and from school.

“At the beginning and end of the school day the area is very chaotic, with cars going in different directions on and off the mini roundabout, and parents pulling up to drop students off or pick them up. I have witnessed students trying to cross and it is clear many of them are unsure whether it they are safe to cross.

“Residents have called this an accident waiting to happen. And while this area is technically in Emmbrook, the vast majority of the students and families this issue affects come from my ward of Norreys. The strength of feeling on this issue of the need for a safe crossing point was evidenced by the petition attracting hundreds of signatures as soon as it was launched. We now have over 650 signatures.

“The Council are planning a crossing on Milton Road as part of the Greenway extension from Cantley park. However this does nothing to help The Holt students as, for them, it is in the wrong place. The proposed crossing serves the Greenway only. Students crossing Milton road at the proposed crossing site, which is north of the mini roundabout, would still then have to cross the very busy Jubilee Avenue, and possibly Holt Lane as well, in order to get to their school. And these roads are just as chaotic and dangerous at busy times of day.

“We all know how important it is for children to walk to school for health reasons and to reduce emissions from vehicles – but in these conditions I can understand why parents choose to drive, as they are rightly concerned about their children’s safety.

“This petition, with over 650 signatures,  calls for a safe crossing point that serves students from the Holt to allow them to walk safely to and from school – there is a great strength of feeling on this, and the Council must now listen to parents’ concerns.”

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