Following a recent accident involving a student on Horseshoe Lane, Garston, Watford’s Elected Mayor and local councillors are urging residents to support a petition that has just been launched calling upon Hertfordshire County Council to work with the schools to make the road safer.
The councillors and Mayor want to see improved safety measures along Horseshoe Lane, Garston to reduce accidents and collisions before a serious accident occurs.
The campaigners say this stretch of Horseshoe Lane is particularly busy at school opening and closing when children are being dropped off and picked up due to the proximity of Francis Combe Academy, Garston Manor School and St. Catherine of Siena School.
There is also the added pressures and complexities here with the entrance and exit from to the busy Woodside Leisure Centre opposite St Catherine’s.
Last year Woodside and Stanborough Liberal Democrat County Councillor, Tim Williams, successfully secured agreement from Hertfordshire County Council to have a school crossing patrol for St Catherine’s.
However, despite the highway works with a dropped crossing having been completed earlier this year the county has not been able to recruit a School Crossing person.
Last week there was a further accident involving a pupil from Francis Combe Academy and Lib Dem Woodside Councillor Karen Collett said something needs to be done.
He said: “This is the fourth time this year there’s been an accident involving a pupil from Francis Combe, something really must be done to prevent a life being lost. I know that Francis Combe have been contacting Herts County Council on this for some time, but nothing has been done.”
Peter Taylor, the Liberal Democrat elected Mayor of Watford added his support to the campaign.
He said: “I fully support this petition that has been launched and urge local residents, the parents, and the schools’ communities to get behind this campaign, and work together to dosomething to address these highway safety concerns.”
Cllr Tim Williams has a child that goes to one of the schools and said it is a fear among all parents in the area that a serious accident will occur.
He highlighted: “If Herts County Council are serious with getting school children to walk to school and reducing traffic, then they need to ensure that it is safe for school children to cross at busy junctions like this.”
The petition can be found here watfordlibdems.org/safety_measures_for_horseshoe_lane
From left to right; Elected Mayor Peter Taylor, Cllr Richard Wenham, Cllr Karen Collet, Cllr Tim Williams and Cllr Ian Stotesbury (plus pupil from St Catherine’s).
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