20MPH IS PLENTY: Team effort to improve A6 road safety

PCSO Karen Green, High Peak borough councillor Jim Perkin, local councillor Daren Robins, Hayden Gill, Production Manager at Cemex and resident Leanne Wild with children from Dove Holes Primary School.

The partnership comes after 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 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.

“Thirty miles per hour appears too fast, especially so 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 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 PCSO Karen Green, from the Chapel and Chinley Safer Neighbourhood Team.

PCSO Green and High Peak borough councillor Jim Perkins 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 Green said: “We are in the very early days of our 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 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.”