Speed limit set to be slashed around Sheffield school where boy was seriously injured in collision

An 11-year-old boy was thrown through the air after being hit by a car outside Woodseats Primary and Nursery School on Chesterfield Road last July, prompting calls for action.

Sheffield Council has now revealed plans for a 20mph zone on The Dale, which runs behind the school, and is also considering moving a bus stop and introducing a new pedestrian crossing to prevent further accidents.

Councillor Jack Scott, cabinet member for transport, said he and Sheffield Heeley MP Louise Haigh had visited the school in the days following the collision and he was pleased to be putting into action some of the changes demanded by staff and parents.

"Children's safety is our top priority and I'm really glad we've been able to take action following this terrible accident," he said.

"I'm looking forward to working with the school to ensure we can put in place the other measures they asked for."

The council announced plans for the 20mph limit yesterday and people have one month in which to have their say on the proposal, which the council hopes to implement in April.

The council also asked Farm Foods following the collision to ensure delivery vehicles did not park on Chesterfield Road, obstructing traffic and creating a potential hazard, and it said the grocery store had complied.

It has also conducted a road safety audit looking at moving the bus stop away from the top of Woodseats Road, where the pupil was knocked down, and is considering calls for a new pedestrian crossing at the junction of Chesterfield Road and Scarsdale Road.

Coun Scott said the council had already introduced parking restrictions and 20mph zones around a number of the city's schools and planned to do so in more locations to better protect pupils.

The school said last year that the boy had made a good recovery since the crash but there had been other near misses and action was needed before another pupil was injured.

Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Ayris, who organised a petition calling for safety measures, welcomed the proposed 20mph limit but said additional steps were needed to prevent further injuries.

"These measures will go some way to reducing the risk of accidents, but we are pressing for further changes, particularly around the Chesterfield Road junction with Scarsdale Road and moving the Woodseats Road bus stop away from the junction," he said.