Council says bollards outside a Dulwich primary can stay, after parents, teachers and kids took a stand against their decision to remove them.
Bessenger Grange Primary School declared victory after their mission to stop the council from getting rid of the bollards outside their school was successful.
In 2018, the collapsible metal bollards, which are manually erected from the ground during opening and closing hours to stop cars from driving directly outside the school, were installed by the council as part of the school streets scheme.
Southwark Council had planned to remove the bollards in January, and switch to using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to restrict traffic instead – a proposal which caused uproar amongst parents, teachers and pupils at the school who feared it would lead to ‘children getting harmed.’
However, after meeting with the school they decided to reverse this decision.
Bollard removal at primary school in Dulwich is going to make street dangerous, say parents
Councillor James McAsh, Cabinet Member for the Climate Emergency, Clean Air and Streets: “We had a productive meeting and after careful consideration, we’ve made a mutual decision to keep the bollards on the school street.”
Bessenger Grange Primary sits on one of eighteen school streets in Southwark, where motor traffic is restricted to improve road safety and reduce the impact of air pollution.
Emily Carter, who has two children at the school said she is ‘relieved.’
“We are all relieved that Southwark Council has reversed its decision in response to the campaign by parents and the school.
“It was bizarre to announce the removal of such popular road safety measures and this feels like a victory for common sense and the safety of our children.”
Elizabeth Whitehead, Headteacher at Bessemer Grange Primary, commented: “As a school community we are delighted with this outcome as we feel strongly that for our school, the bollards are the best possible way of keeping children safe at drop off and pick up time.”
Chair of Southwark Liberal Democrats, Richard Wingfield, who was helping to raise awareness of the campaign, said: “We’re relieved that the council has reversed its decision and that these important safety measures will remain in place.
“But we should never have been in this position in the first place. A failure to properly consult with people on decisions that affect their lives has become a hallmark of Southwark Council under Labour. In future, the council and Cabinet members need to be far more transparent with residents about their proposals and work with, rather than against, local communities.”