Traffic danger – Parents in fight to keep railings that protects kids outside Gospel Oak Primary School

Published: 4 February 2010
by DAN CARRIER

RAILINGS that keep children safe from one of the borough’s busiest roads could be removed under new Town Hall plans – prompting a campaign by parents to keep them in place.
Mums and dads of pupils at Gospel Oak Primary School in Mansfield Road are furious about a council and Transport for London (TfL) proposal to remove railings that run alongside the pavement outside the popular school.
They say removing them will put their children’s lives in danger from motorists who use the street as a rat-run at the end of the school day. Mother of two Zoe Greene was so enraged when she saw a sign saying the railings were going to go, she started a petition against the proposal. It has so far garnered more than 250 signatures.
Ms Greene, whose six-year-old son Daniel attends Gospel Oak, said: “The railings are vital to keep our children safe – and there just seems no good reason to move them.”
A Town Hall spokesman said no decision had been finalised and they would listen to concerns, adding: “The council has consulted residents and the local groups on proposals to improve the environment around Gospel Oak station to make it more attractive and to encourage more people to use the station. An element of the design includes a proposal to remove some sections of guardrail adjacent to Gospel Oak School and the station. These proposals have been developed by undertaking an independent safety audit to ensure that road safety is not compromised.”