Residents in Midsomer Norton have been praised after winning a long campaign to install a puffin pedestrian crossing on Radstock Road.

For years, a solution has been sought by the public for a crossing by Welton Primary School on the Radstock Road.

In order to prevent accidents from occurring near the primary school that is situated on a busy ‘A’ through road, School Crossing Superintendents have done a fantastic job of managing the road during its busiest times, but this was never intended to be a long-term solution.

This began a campaign from the public that was backed strongly by Conservative Councillors on B&NES, and in particular, the local Councillor for Midsomer Norton North, Cllr Michael Evans. After working closely with officers to find a solution, a traffic count was undertaken as part of the design process, which ruled out the possibility of a zebra crossing because the average vehicle speeds were too high. It was therefore decided that a signal controlled ‘puffin’ pedestrian crossing would be the most appropriate solution.

There are currently ‘school keep clear’ markings and double yellow line parking restrictions in place next to the school, which prevent the new crossing from having an adverse impact on existing on-street parking and loading provision for local residents.

It has also been agreed that once the crossing is installed, there will be no need for any more crossing patrols. However, for the first week of the crossing, these will remain in place, so that children and parents can get used to the new crossing.

Councillor Michael Evans said on the success: “I am delighted for the community that the plans for a crossing by Welton Primary School have been finalised. I would like to personally thank all the parents and campaigners who have worked so tirelessly for this, and I am grateful to the Officers who have cooperated to find the solution.

“The safety of our children is paramount, and now children and parents can easily access Welton Primary School throughout the entire day.”