Leighton Buzzard headteacher claims safety of 2,000 pupils at risk due to Vandyke Road changes

A Leighton Buzzard headteacher is urging Central Bedfordshire Council (CBC) to alter Vandyke Road's layout, believing the new design puts 2,000 pupils at risk.

Timothy Carroll, headteacher at Vandyke Upper School, claims that recent changes to link the road with nearby developments have left no traffic calming measures and resulted in poor visibility for both drivers and pupils of Vandyke and Gilbert Inglefield Academy.

However, despite raising the safety of 2,000 students with council, he told the LBO that he was disappointed to receive "little response".

Mr Carroll claimed: "I feel this matter warrants greater urgency.

"Now that Vandyke Road has re-opened, it has a new layout with no traffic calming measures - before it had a narrowing to single carriage-way that was effective and also stopped HGVs entering.

"The entrance to the school is too close to the bend and recent fencing put up has worsened the sight lines still further.

"The road is also too narrow so that most vehicles come round the bend touching or over the white lines in the middle the road."

Mr Carroll explained that "despite the endeavours of both schools", some children's sense of road safety is "not good", increasing his concern.

He informed CBC Councillor Ken Ferguson that both schools have recorded incidents of near misses in recent weeks; in the case of Gilbert Inglefield Academy, there have been four occasions since Easter when a child has been struck by a vehicle, and one such instance at Vandyke.

"Thankfully there were no serious injuries on these occasions," he said.

Mr Carroll added: "The junction with Meadway has long been a mess – heavy traffic flow, children on foot and on bikes converge, narrow gauge railway, and footpaths that just stop taking children into the road.

"Meanwhile, the pedestrian crossing outside Gilbert Inglefield Academy has very poor visibility both for those crossing and drivers.

"The council has agreed and said it will cut back the foliage."

Councillor Ferguson said: "I sent a report of my discussion with Mr Carroll to the Portfolio Holder at CBC who had a discussion with the Highways Contract Manager. My understanding is that as a result of this conversation an Order for 'hedge and verge cutting' has been raised and should be actioned within the next week. Thus the measures which are immediately addressable have been put in place.

"I understand that there is a “Stage 3 Road Safety Audit” being carried out."

A CBC spokesman said: “The pre-existing traffic calming measures on Vandyke Road have been removed, as it was sited where the new junction has been constructed and is no longer necessary, as the new developments of Clipstone Park and Chamberlain’s Barn now connect through the new realigned Vandyke Road to the south.

“The new junction of Vandyke Road has a double bend which acts as a traffic calming feature.

"We apologise for the delay in responding to the concerns raised by Mr Carroll. Road safety for all road users, but vulnerable groups such as pedestrians and cyclists, is paramount.

“As with all new road schemes, a road safety audit will be undertaken once works have been largely completed on-site. Any residual safety concerns raised will then need to be addressed by the developer.”

CBC confirmed that vegetation at the junction has been trimmed back.