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'Hands off our route to school', residents say

BBC Jenny Holmes and Bridget Petty stand in the dark, wearing coats and Jenny wearing a woolly hat. Between them they are holding a poster with red painted handprints covering it, and a children walking road sign drawn into the middle. Under the sign the slogan reads - 'HANDS OFF Our Route to School'BBC
Jenny Holmes (L) and Green Councillor Bridget Petty object to the Dark Lane proposals from developers

A housing development has gone before a council this week with residents claiming it will make children's walk to school unsafe.

Developer Persimmon has put forward an application for 125 houses to be built in Backwell, North Somerset, which went before North Somerset Council planners on 18 December.

They are proposing to demolish house Number 23, on Dark Lane, to make way for an access road. Residents have told the BBC this was have an "impact" on children walking to school alone.

North Somerset Council said in a statement comments from the community will be considered at the meeting but the final decision lies with the planning inspector.

Jenny Holmes' children walk to school everyday along the lane said the proposal's could limit her nine year olds' freedom.

"I feel totally happy them doing that because it's safe route for them to walk to school," she said. "This access road would take away that safety.

"They'd have to cross a busy road that a lot of houses would be coming in and out of. It would just be so disappointing for them to not be able to walk to and from school by themselves."

A cardboard sign on a wooden stick reading 'Save our village' placed near bushes on the side of a road. Behind the sign bushes and a red brick house can be seen.
Backwell residents are calling for the council to 'save' their village

Bridget Petty, parent and Green Councillor, said her daughter also walks up the road to school on her own and it is "really valued" in the community.

She said: "The entrance and exit for these 125 houses is just narrow, it's poor visibility and it will really, really impact the chance for our children to walk safely to school."

The councillor said the community's 800 comments of objection to the road should be heard.

A spokesperson from North Somerset Council said: "The application will be considered at our planning and regulatory committee today and the comments of all those that have sent us their views on the proposal will be taken into account.

"However, because the applicant has submitted an appeal the decision to approve or refuse the application rests with the planning inspector appointed by the government."

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