Uphill struggle but council will install school crossing

As a member of the Get Across action group campaigning for a safe crossing outside Prendergast Ladywell school, I am delighted to see that Lewisham is finally doing the right thing, and proposing to construct a parallel crossing outside the main school entrance.

This has been an uphill struggle since the primary school opened and even before.

Last year a group of us – parents and local members of the community – got together and formed the Get across action group, determined to make safe crossing a reality.

We have had fantastic support from the parent community, the school staff and senior leadership team, as well as the local community and some local councillors.

We spent time gathering data and presented overwhelming evidence to the council, building on some of the work done by other people fighting this fight before us, and the council has listened.

The secondary and primary together cater for more than 1,300 kids and many more staff, and the crossing at Manwood and Ewehurst has seen them play Russian roulette with the traffic every day coming in and leaving school.

As a mum of two kids at the school, one cycling and the other scooting, on their own, across this dangerous road, the news is amazing.

The crossing will bring peace of mind after years of worry.

The plans are well considered despite it being a complex junction, and seem to offer solutions for both pedestrians and cyclists, which is not just great for the school but also to all the local community using this crossing to get to Ladywell park.

Yael Biran
One of the lead campaigners, Get Across

Picture: Picture Pixabay/Alicja