Perilous road deserves a crossing, say parents using Purley nurseries

By Harrison Galliven, Local Democracy Reporter

Parents have called on Croydon council to build a pedestrian crossing along the busy Purley Road to help them negotiate a walk to nurseries which they say is fraught with danger.

Regular users of Pampisford Road feel it has become a hot spot for irresponsible driving and speeding cars, so much so that it is putting pedestrians at risk.

The road is home to a number of nurseries and schools, which means it is relied upon heavily by pedestrians in term time.

Despite having a clearly signposted 20 mph speed limit, cars can often be seen speeding along the road and executing dangerous overtaking manoeuvres.

This is made worse by the fact that cars often use the momentum of the road as it goes down the hill towards Purley town centre and the nurseries based at the junction with Christchurch Road.

Heavy rush hour traffic also means the road often clogs up with long queues of cars, which causes more problems for pedestrians who have to walk long distances to the nearest crossing or take their chances across the road.

Purley resident Jack Connah said: “The council encourages parents not to drive to school, so twice a day we try and do the right thing by joining parents who are walking their children to Fennies, Purley Nursery School, Christchurch Primary School or the Rotary field playing ground but that find themselves with no safe place to cross.”

Mr Connah said: “Everything is stacked against pedestrians and even the pavements aren’t safe as cars frequently mount them to get around traffic on Christchurch Road.”

Local ward councillor Samir Dwesar said: “This road has changed so much. You’ve got more developments now up and down the road so there’s more residents. More people, more cars, more traffic. I believe a pedestrian crossing is the main viable solution to tackling the challenge of crossing safely.

“It has always shocked me that a busy road with a local primary school, two nurseries and a popular park in the vicinity doesn’t have one.”

Croydon council said:  “The health and safety of our residents is a priority and we have been listening to concerns raised by parents about road safety in Pampisford Road.

“We will explore the feasibility of any interventions that might be needed, such as a pedestrian crossing close to Christchurch Road.”

Pictured top: Purley residents Jack Connah (left) and Samir Dwesar (Picture: Harrison Galliven)