New road signs improve safety for pupils at three Forest of Dean schools

The initiative, funded by the Forest of Dean Community Safety Partnership, of which Forest of Dean District Council is a statutory member, has resulted in new road safety signs being placed outside Berry Hill Primary School, Tutshill C of E Primary School, and English Bicknor C of E Primary School.

Officers at the Council worked in partnership with the Forest Neighbourhood Policing Team to undertake the work at Berry Hill Primary School. The school itself was recommended by Police Community Support Officer (PCSO) Tom Oliver, who serves the Coleford area.

Cllr Jackie Dale, Cabinet Member for Thriving Communities, said:

“The aim of this project is to stop people parking on pavements and directly outside school entrances, where they can cause disruption and make it harder for children and their families to safely cross the road.

“These signs send a clear message that parking in these areas is not permitted. They help create safer crossing points for pupils and improve visibility for drivers during busy school drop-off and pick-up times - something that’s been a particular concern in English Bicknor.

“We’ve already seen positive results from similar signs installed outside schools in Cinderford. Drivers are now parking further away, and visibility - especially on bends where parking was a problem - has improved. We’re pleased to extend this scheme to more schools for the benefit of our communities.”

Berry Hill Primary School Headteacher, Mrs Amy Pugh, said:

"Berry Hill Primary School is extremely grateful to the Community Safety Partnership for providing funding towards our new road safety signs and cones. This support has made a real difference in helping to ensure cars are parking safely during drop-offs and pick-ups, keeping our children and families safe. Our new road safety characters have quickly become the most popular members of the school gate team!"

The Forest of Dean District Council is a statutory member of the Community Safety Partnership, which brings together organisations to identify local priorities and deliver a coordinated response to community safety issues. Other statutory partners include Gloucestershire Police, Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service, Gloucestershire County Council and the Gloucestershire Clinical Commissioning Group.