CIVIC leaders in North Petherton are calling for action after a child was hit by a vehicle at a busy school crossing at Stockmoor.

The town council has written to health and safety officials at housing developers Persimmon calling for more safety measures.
Councillors were told a child had suffered injuries at the site outside Somerset Bridge Primary School. An ambulance was called and took the child to hospital.

Concerns over the proximity of building works to the school and heavy traffic using the road have been raised for some time. Community leaders have considered a volunteer school crossing warden, walking ‘buses’, and better road markings.

Town councillor Gary Jones said: “The crossing is now becoming more dangerous for our children, and people don’t feel safe. A child was reversed into on the crossing and suffered minor injuries.

“We need to take a harder line with Persimmon because lorries are reversing around the bends. But there is no alternative at the moment until the roads are adopted.

“Children are having to walk past parked cars on the pavements at the beginning and end of the school day. It is not safe.”

A series of speed bumps have been put in outside the school, with markings, but councillors say these have failed to prevent near misses, and there has been a lack of volunteers to become wardens.

Somerset county councillor Richard Brown told the meeting negotiations and consultations were ongoing.

Town council acting chairman Julian Taylor said more care was needed. “We need to write to Persimmon’s head of health and safety to avoid more child injuries,” he said.

Steve Roche, managing director for Persimmon Homes Severn Valley, said: “We are fully aware of the situation and are in regular dialogue with the school.

"A temporary crossing facility was put in place whilst we were developing to prioritise the point at which to cross the road outside the school.

“Our construction activities are complete and there are no vehicle movements which have anything to do with us.

"Now that our construction activities are complete, we intend to progress completion of the remaining estate roads and adoption.”