Parents to lobby councillors over road safety near Leeds school

Parents of children at Highfield Primary School, Alwoodley, have collected 545 signatures on an online petition calling for Leeds City Council to make changes to the Ring Road at its junction with Shadwell Lane near the school.

They want the speed limit reduced from 40mph to 30mph and changes made to a small pedestrian island used by hundreds of families. Campaigners are due to present the petition and speak to councillors about their concerns at a full council meeting on June 29.

Mother-of-three Claire Davenport, who launched the petition, said there were two accidents at the junction in January, adding: “One of the accidents resulted in a car smashing into the tiny pedestrian island used by families four times daily.”

A Leeds City Council spokesman said “We are aware of residents’ concerns regarding this particular junction, and have already undertaken detailed investigations into its safety. While this junction does have a very good safety record in regards to the numbers of accidents involving injury - two injury accidents in the past five-year period - we are continuing to look at alternatives moving forward, which includes the introduction of flashing amber warning lights on the Ring Road approaches to the junction and a yellow box junction to stop traffic blocking the exit from Shadwell Lane.” The petition can be found at www.change.org/p/reduce-the-speed-limit