THE school at the heart of the Davenport Green crossing proposal has urged Cheshire East Council to keep children’s safety at the top of its priorities.

Lindow Community Primary School has been embroiled in the controversial Knutsford Road pedestrian crossing plan, which would lead to a section of Church Road becoming one-way.

Hundreds of residents signed a petition against the proposal, with local shop owners concerned about the impact a loss of parking and traffic in the area could have on their business.

Both Wilmslow Town Council and Davenport Green residents were frustrated at CEC’s consultation procedure for the plan, which would also see a busy bus stop be moved.

Zoe Wilson, headteacher at Lindow Community Primary School, told the Guardian that the school and its governors have been concerned about children’s safety walking along Knutsford Road and Upcast Lane for many years.

“The problem has only got worse as the roads have got busier and the number of pupils attending our school has increased,” she said.

“As a school, our primary concern is for the safety of our pupils, but we also recognise and understand the objections that have been raised to the plan.”

CEC’s proposal followed lengthy discussions between itself and the school, which requested the council looked at the provision of a safer crossing option on the busy Knutsford Road.

At a meeting last on Tuesday, August 30, Wilmslow Town Council commented that the crossing would not necessarily make the road safer, and asked for a 20mph speed limit to be considered as an alternative.

Miss Wilson is grateful for the time CEC has invested in making the area safer, and welcomes the feedback of residents.

She said: “We have been heartened by the many supportive comments from the local community on social media stating that children's safety is of paramount importance.

“We would welcome any further discussion about any crossing solutions that the highways team at the council might put forward as an alternative workable option.

“We sincerely hope that there may be a compromise that would improve the dangerous situation for Lindow pupils, but mitigate the issues and concerns raised by our neighbours and local businesses to the current plan.”

CEC is expected to announce the next stage of the proposal by the end of September.