Minister declines request to tell councils to lower speed limits outside schools
Minister declines request to tell councils to lower speed limits outside schools
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A minister has rejected calls for the Government to tell councils in England to lower speed limits outside schools to 20mph. Roads minister Lilian Greenwood said councils already have the power to change speed restrictions outside schools in response to a plea from an MP following the death of a schoolboy in Cheshire who was hit by a car.
Aphra Brandreth, Conservative MP for Chester South and Eddisbury, said the death of 11-year-old Evan Rothwell in November last year was an example of why lower limits were needed. Ms Brandreth said Wrexham Road, which the King’s School pupil was trying to cross when he was killed, had a 40mph limit.
She added one school in her constituency was on a road with a 60mph restriction. Evan died in hospital four days after being hit by the car. His school paid tribute to a “remarkable young man”, and his headteacher described him as a “bright, joyful and fun-loving classmate”.
A petition calling on Cheshire West and Chester Council to lower the speed limit on Wrexham Road near the school got more than 14,000 signatures. In turn, the BBC reported last week that the council is reviewing road safety at the site. Ms Brandreth said: “It’s clear that this is not just about this tragic incident.
“As I noted, the investigation remains ongoing. “Nor is it just about this school and this road. “It is about every child’s journey to and from school, and the value that we place on their safety and their security.”. She backed her constituents’ calls for a “meaningful change” to see “long lasting, effective changes” outside schools.
