The petition of residents of the constituency of Newcastle-under-Lyme,
Declares that the A525 outside Meadows Primary School, and at the junction of Crewe Road, is inadequate, dangerous and putting the lives of the people of Newcastle-under-Lyme at risk; acknowledges that in recent weeks, a parent was knocked down dropping their child off to school, and there have been many more near misses in the weeks and months before us; notes that each and every parent should feel safe dropping their children off at school; and further notes that an online petition on this same issue has reached 289 signatures from people who live, learn and work in Newcastle-under-Lyme.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to push Staffordshire County Council to make the sections of the A525 near Meadows Primary School in Newcastle-under-Lyme fit for purpose by introducing traffic calming measures that would meaningfully improve safety such as traffic lights, speed bumps, speed cameras, a reduced speed zone, or roundabout modification.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Adam Jogee, Official Report, 22 January 2026; Vol. 779, c. 565.]
[P003159]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Lilian Greenwood):
The Government take road safety very seriously and remain committed to reducing deaths and injuries on our roads. On 7 January 2026, the Government published their new road safety strategy, which sets out our vision for a safer future on the roads for all users, with a particular focus on protecting vulnerable road users, including children travelling to and from school.
Local traffic authorities have the power to set speed limits and introduce traffic-management measures where people and traffic mix, including outside schools. This includes the ability to introduce reduced speed limits, traffic-calming measures, pedestrian crossings, traffic signals, speed enforcement, and changes to road layouts where appropriate.
Responsibility for the A525 outside Meadows primary school, including the junction with Crewe Road, rests with Staffordshire County Council as the local highways authority. The Council is responsible for assessing local road conditions, reviewing collision and safety data, and determining which measures are most appropriate to address local road-safety concerns.
Local traffic authorities are asked to have regard to the Department for Transport’s guidance setting local speed limits, which is designed to ensure speed limits are set appropriately and consistently while allowing flexibility to respond to local circumstances. As set out in the road safety strategy, the Government will be reviewing and updating this guidance, to further support local authorities in making well-informed decisions about managing speed on their roads. The final decision on speed limits and enforcement measures remains with the local authority, working with the police who are responsible for enforcement.
Local authorities are also free to make their own decisions about the design of the roads and streets under their care, provided they take account of relevant legislation. They have a range of tools available to improve safety near schools, including traffic calming, pedestrian crossings, traffic signals, reduced speed zones, and school streets schemes. The Government expect local authorities such as Staffordshire county council to work with local schools, parents, and communities in Newcastle-under-Lyme to address concerns about road safety in their local area.
The Department for Transport has published guidance on the design of pedestrian crossings in chapter 6 of the traffic signs manual. Guidance on traffic-calming measures is also published in Local Transport Note 1/07: “Traffic Calming”. In addition, Active Travel England and the Department for Transport have published guidance for local authorities on the implementation of School Streets.
The safety of our children must be the primary concern when designing the streets around our schools. Many parts of the country are following Government guidance and using the powers available to them to make changes to these local streets to keep young people and their parents, carers and teachers safe. I would urge Staffordshire council to look carefully at the matters raised in this petition.