Head calls for speed-limit cut

A headteacher is calling for the speed limit on the road outside his village primary school to be lowered.

Mr Chris Wilson says he is concerned for the safety of pupils at North Clifton Primary School.

It follows an incident last week in which a van crashed into the school’s office building.

The incident caused damage to the brickwork and has led to extensive cracks in the internal plasterwork.

Mr Wilson said the accident on Church Lane was just before midnight, but could easily have happened during the daytime when children would have been at school.

The speed limit on the road where the school stands is 60mph.

Mr Wilson said it should be lowered to at least to 40mph, and that there were many schools where the limit was 20mph.

He said he wanted Nottinghamshire County Council to add the road to the list for priority gritting.

Mr Alan Birt, highways manager at the county council, said the road, which runs between North and South Clifton, was unclassified and therefore not on a gritting route.

He said more than a third of the roads in Nottinghamshire were treated when there was a risk of ice or snow but they were A and B classified roads and some major bus routes.

He said the A1133, which runs parallel to Church Lane, was on a gritting route and provided an alternative when weather conditions were bad.

“Following the accident officers will visit the site and assess if anything can be put in place to improve safety on this stretch of road,” said Mr Birt.

Three men were in the van, but none suffered life-threatening injuries.