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Pensford safety
rail: people want safety to come first, not council propaganda
Back in the autumn
an
extraordinary situation had arisen on the main road through Pensford.
A metal safety barrier, there to protect pedestrians on the busy A37 right
outside the Primary School, was moved by B&NES Council further back
from the kerb.
They'd moved it after the barrier had been hit by traffic three times
in three years, in a bid to protect the barrier from further impact.
But in doing so they narrowed the pavement space for children and parents
to use. This meant people leaving and arriving at school had begun using
the pavement on both sides of the relocated barrier, greatly increasing
the risk of death or serious injury from traffic just inches away.
It was daft and dangerous that B&NES appeared more interested in protecting
the barrier from damage than protecting children. Not surprisingly the
Conservative-run Council found itself ridiculed. They
even made headlines in the Daily Telegraph, a paper not renowned
for knocking Tory politicians.
All the attention meant it was perhaps understandable the Council would
defend itself. So B&NES issued a statement, trying to shift the blame,
claiming it had moved the barrier because of Government guidelines. So
I've looked into this and have discovered the relevant guidelines say
no such thing. It's actually a matter for B&NES to decide how far
to set back a barrier of this type, taking into account the local circumstances.
Anyone who's ever walked on the pavement of the A37 in Pensford knows
the local circumstances shout 'danger' very loudly indeed.
According to figures released recently, the Council spent over £345,000
of council tax payers' money last year to try and positively portray B&NES'
work. For that sort of money we should expect the truth, and nothing but
the truth. Thankfully B&NES' expensive PR machine has been caught
red-handed over this unfortunate instance where safety, not propaganda,
should have been key.
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