A £13m new build school has opened in Spennymoor to parental concerns at potentially dangerous traffic conditions outside the main gates.
Springmoor Grange School in Spennymoor has welcomed pupils and staff for their first term, replacing the former Ox Close Primary and Oxclose Nursery Schools.
Funded and designed by Durham County Council, the new school, on the site of the former Tudhoe Grange Comprehensive, has capacity for 630 primary school pupils.
It also has a 52-place nursery unit for children aged two and older.
However, parents have expressed concerns that no traffic calming measures, including no School Crossing Patrol, have been put in place ahead of the opening, despite emailed assurances from the local authority’s Road Safety Team that “a School 20mph zone, together with parking restrictions and enforceable regulations… will be completed in time for the school opening on 9 September 2024.”
Concerned parents contacted Spennymoor News to say: “Despite numerous complaints to the road safety team, we have reached an impasse.
“Parents feel their voices are being ignored, even though the safety of their children is clearly at stake.
“To make matters worse, the council had promised that 20mph speed limit signs and zigzag markings would be installed before the school opened, but these are still nowhere to be seen. This lack of essential safety measures is further endangering our children during busy school drop-off and pick-up times.
“We urgently need greater attention to this issue before a preventable tragedy occurs.”
Another parent contacted the paper to say: “While the school is an outstanding building for our children to learn in, unfortunately getting to school is very dangerous.
“Durham Road is incredibly busy with traffic at school opening and closing times. The two other schools on this road have a crossing patrol provided by the county council.
“My child was nearly ran over the other day while trying to cross the road as a group! Parents are grouping together for safety in numbers; parents with pushchairs are especially affected due to poor visibility. The situation has worsened with the poor weather and dark mornings.”
Dave Lewin, Durham County Council’s traffic strategic traffic manager, said: “We can reassure parents that new road markings and speed limit signs will be installed outside the school.
“Poor weather and parked cars have caused delays to the painting of the markings, and we are waiting for a third-party supplier to deliver the flashing sign that warns drivers to slow down. However, this will be installed as a matter of priority as soon as we are able to.
“We couldn’t assess the need for a school crossing patrol until after the school opened. A request to create a new post has been made and a school crossing patrol will be in place as soon as a suitable candidate has been recruited and trained.”
Meanwhile, inside Springmoor Grange, parents and officials expressed their delight at the new learning facility.
Cllr Ted Henderson, the council’s Cabinet member for children and young people’s services, said: “We are delighted to see the Springmoor Grange School open its doors to pupils and staff.
“It’s wonderful to see pupils so excited to be in their new school. These modern, first-class facilities will help to give our children the best start in life and no doubt inspire in them a love of learning, sports and extra-curricular activities.
Anna Bowden, the school’s headteacher, said: “We are so excited to be together in our new school and welcome our pupils through the doors for the first time.
“The facilities are truly fantastic and will help us to enhance our current provision whilst maintaining our strong community ethos.
“We’re really proud that we have been able to work together to make sure Springmoor Grange School is the best it can possibly be for children attending now and in decades to come.
“We look forward to seeing our students grow and develop during their time here and celebrating all that they achieve.”
Spennymoor's local community newspaper.
