This week a school in Hillsborough introduced no parking signs to improve pupils’ safety.
Speeding and parking outside of Marlcliffe primary school has caused parents to fear their children’s safety over the last few years.
Mother, Becky Binkiewicz, a business coach aged 45 said: “As a parent of a child at the school, this issue horrifies me, it’s scary and my daughter often asks if she can cross the road and we live on the same street as the school and my answer is no.”
Most of the complaints made to the primary school have concerned parking outside of the school.
Headteacher of the school, Clare Hayes said: “We have worked with our Local Area Committee to receive the new parking signs which we are putting outside school and these have been positively received by families.”
Sophie Shaw, a mother and support worker aged 39, said: “Our cat was hit a couple of years ago and no one stopped then, our cat could’ve been a child.”
The road in October 2021 became a 20mph zone. There was also a temporary vehicle activated speed sign installed last year.
Mrs Binkiewicz said: “I didn’t find the sign made any difference.”
The school has also made efforts to address speeding.
Mrs Hayes said: “In relation to speeding cars I have suggested further road markings displaying the 20mph speed limit during our last Local Area Committee meeting.”
Natalie Hughes, a mother aged 31 said: “I think it’s down to personal responsibility I don’t think it’s the school or the council’s responsibility to tell grown adults not to speed past the school
“My question to drivers is where do you need to be that quickly that you’re risking hitting a child.”
This coming Sunday will mark a year since the Hillsborough Community Speedwatch group was organised a year ago.
In that time they’ve held speed recording sessions where they measured speeds of up to 33mph.
South Yorkshire police said: “ The Walkley policing team will be setting up a Community Speedwatch operation outside Marlcliffe Primary School in the near future, in response to the concerns raised.”
We would encourage anyone with concerns about dangerous driving in the area to report it to us via 101 or online via www.southyorks.police.uk/contact-us/report-something/.”
You can find more information about the Hillsborough Community Speedwatch group at: http://communityspeedwatch.org/?fbclid=IwAR0VjZw9hWBpZm3e1OW9KybUfillfpAZe6B4bw6nY9tJCQ3uRV75st0bnz4.