Work is underway to provide a permanent crossing point on Wareham Road outside Lytchett Matravers Primary School.

The aim is to provide a safer, better walking experience for children and parents who are walking and scooting to school.

It is also hoped that by providing a safer crossing point, more children and parents will walk to school and help reduce traffic congestion in the area.

Proposals

The site did not meet the criteria for a signalised crossing point, so proposals are to install a Zebra crossing at the northern-most entrance and includes:

• relocating the bus stop and shelter around 50m south of its current location
• installing double yellow lines along Wareham Road by the school to improve visibility for the crossing and the safety of pedestrians
• introducing double yellow lines at the top of Deans Drove to help tackle irresponsible parking during school pick-up and drop-off

With the proposed Zebra crossing in place, the current school crossing patrol would no longer be needed and would be removed from the site.

We're currently reviewing comments received following the legal advertisement for the proposed Zebra crossing and will be using these to form a view on the future of the project.

This page will be updated when a decision has been made on the next steps of the proposals.

Background

This is part of a wider initiative outlined in the adopted Neighbourhood Plan to improve pedestrian and cycle access between the school, village centre shops, play fields and local services/facilities.

Lytchett Matravers Parish Council, the school, parents and local residents have all raised concerns for children’s safety during school drop-off and pick-up times on Wareham Road.

A petition was submitted to the then Dorset County Council highlighting the issues and asking for solutions. In Autumn 2018, Sustrans was invited by the then county council to lead a community project to investigate ways of improving the situation on Wareham Road within the vicinity of the school. 

Sustrans led a series of workshops, one of which also included a one-day road closure of Wareham Road. The final Sustrans report proposed a non-signalised crossing at the northern-most entrance to the school, and measures to restrict on-street parking on nearby junctions and on the footways outside the school.