Worthing school collision: Car free day among road safety improvement options

A child was involved in a collision outside Thomas A Becket (TAB) Junior School in Glebeside Avenue at 9.15am on Monday (March 13) – 11 days after a meeting at the school involving county councillors and police officers to discuss possible safety measures.

It comes after neighbouring residents of the school formed an action group to raise safety concerns about the entrance.

A West Sussex County Council spokesperson said: “The school made us aware of this incident on Monday involving one of its pupils and we hope the young person is making a good recovery.

“We continue to be involved in discussions around road safety concerns outside Thomas A Becket Junior and members of our highways team attended a meeting at the school last week on this subject.

"A number of options were discussed, including the school submitting an application for new road markings to reduce parking along Glebeside Avenue, and trialling a car free day on the road later this year."

Sussex Police confirmed that the incident on Monday was a ‘minor collision’, adding: ”Police are not appealing for any further information in connection with this incident.”

Worthing borough councillors John Turley and Dale Overton have led a campaign for road improvements.

Following the collision, Mr Overton called on the county council to provide a crossing warden at both TAB and Worthing High ‘immediately’. He added: “It is atrocious that after all the school's years of campaigning it has finally come to this.”

Fellow Gaisford Ward councillor Mr Turley said the incident ‘could have been much worse’, adding: “The school, parents and local residents have been expressing concerns about child safety here for too long and decisive action must now be taken.”

Mayor of Worthing, Henna Chowdhury – also a councillor for Gaisford Ward – also asked for ‘urgent consideration’ to be given to adding TAB to the School Streets Scheme.

She added: “I have also asked that in the meantime urgent action is taken to comply with the fire service’s recommendation that the road is closed to non-residents at dropping off and picking up times.”

The county council said it ‘continues to advertise’ for a school crossing patrol, or ‘lollipop person’, to help children and families at the crossing on Wiston Avenue.

"Anyone who is interested in this role should email: [email protected].” a spokesperson said.

“At the meeting we gave a short update on our School Streets Scheme, which is being trialled in September with a very small number of West Sussex schools, limited in size due to resources.

"We will only be able to consider adding a future school street programme once we have fully reviewed the success of the trial, and if there is further funding.

"Schools such as Thomas A Beckett Junior, who have shown an interest in establishing a School Street, will be provided a ‘get ready’ pack in the summer term. [This will] guide schools in gathering key data and feedback from their school and wider community which will used to prioritise schools should the programme continue.”

Beccy Cooper, Worthing Borough Council leader and Labour councillor for Marine Ward, said she will ‘give my full support to any measures required to ensure pupils' safety’.

She added: “I am very sorry to hear about this incident. As the jurisdiction for this work lies primarily with our colleagues at county, I'm very happy to work with them to move this forward as quickly as possible.”

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