‘20mph is Plenty’ says Dove Holes Primary
School
Police have been teaming up with Dove Holes C of E Primary School and
local councillors to help boost safety and slow down motorists through
their village.
This comes after a Dove Holes resident, Leanne Wild, began a ’20 is
Plenty’ campaign to encourage motorists to slow down to 20mph when
driving along the A6, particularly at school drop off and pick up times.
Leanne Wild said: “I never realised how busy the roads were and how
close the traffic is to pedestrians until my daughter started at Dove Holes
Primary School. It is especially difficult with the responsibility of a young
child and a toddler in a pushchair.
“30mph appears too fast, especially close to the school at busy times, so
we are campaigning for motorists to slow down and help us to make our
roads safer for children, pedestrians and other road users. This will also
help to increase the quality of life for people living along the main road by
helping to reduce traffic noise.”
To help kick start the campaign, Leanne contacted her local PCSO Karen
Green from the Chapel and Chinley Safer Neighbourhood Team.
PCSO Karen Green and Councillor Jim Perkins from High Peak Borough
Council began to support the campaign by visiting haulage and bus
companies in the local area. The pair handed out advice leaflets to drivers
and encouraged them to spread the message with their own friends,
family, and neighbours.
PCSO Karen Green from the village’s Safer Neighbourhood Team said:
“We are in the very early days of our 20 is Plenty campaign but it is
fantastic to see the school, council, and local businesses getting on board
with the suggested reduced speed limit.
“Leanne has done a brilliant job and I am proud to be a part of it. Cemex
UK has offered fantastic support and sponsorship for the project, funding
high visibility vests for the whole of Dove Holes Primary School and future
signage outside of the school.”
Hayden Gill, Production Manager at Cemex, added: “We were
approached by Councillor Perkins to sponsor and support our local school
with their speed project and we were more than happy to help.
“A lot of our trucks leave the quarry so we have been educating our
drivers about supporting the project and observing the 20mph at school
hours, along with putting up signs around the quarry.”
Councillor Jim Perkins said: “I would like to thank Cemex very much for
their sponsorship and support with the campaign. In my six years as a
councillor this has been the simplest to arrange. One phone call was
made to Cemex and they agreed to support and fund the jackets and
signposts without any hesitation.”
PCSO Karen Green has also been working closely with Dove Holes C of
E Primary School to offer advice to the children about how to cross the
road safety and the importance of acting responsibly when walking to and
from school. The children have also welcomed guest speakers to their
school to learn more about bicycle safety.
Headteacher Jenny Allin said: “With the support of a proactive parent and
working alongside the police we can work to boost safety on the school
routes.
“As part of our travel plan we will continue to campaign for the speed limit
to be officially lowered to 20mph outside of our school, but in the
meantime we would like to ask all motorists to help us to make the school
journey safer for the pupils and their parents by slowing down”.
To find out more or to speak to your local Safer Neighbourhood team call
Karen Green on 101, or send her a message online using the Contact Us
section of our website: www.derbyshire.police.uk/Contact-Us
You can also visit Leanne’s ’20 is Plenty in Dove Holes’ Facebook page
to share your views or to get involved with the campaign.