Campaigners’ delight over crossing victory near borough school

Community campaigners who have battled for a pedestrian crossing near a school look set to win their fight.

Residents in Astley have been calling for the safety measure on Henfold Road, near Garrett Hall School, for the past year, amid fears of an accident on the busy stretch.

Ward councillors Paula Wakefield, Christine Roberts and Barry Taylor have been pushing for a crossing point and their persistence seems to have paid off, with proposals now in place.

The crossing design will now go to Wigan Council’s traffic department to arrange installation, which it is anticipated will be done during school holidays.

Coun Wakefield, of the Astley and Mosley Common ward, welcomed news of the crossing.

She said: "I would like to thank everyone who contacted me about the possibility of a crossing point for this area.

"I will always listen and do everything I can to alleviate the concerns that are raised with me and push for our fair share of investment in Astley and Mosley Common.

"Alongside local schools and pupils, we formed a road safety group called the Anti Crash Crew which is looking at ways to make travelling to and from local schools safer.

"We have already achieved a new crossing outside St Ambrose School, Astley and there is currently a new crossing being installed at St Johns school, Mosley Common. There are also other road safety measures in the pipeline.

"This new crossing on Henfold Road, Astley will help families travelling to and from Garrett Hall School."

She added: "I know that road safety is a concern for a lot of residents and I will continue to lobby for better road safety measures for the area."

Thanks for reading. If you value what we do and are able to support us, a digital subscription is just £1 for your first month. Try us today by clicking here and viewing our offers ...