Academy welcomes new speed signs

Nov 12 2008 by Iain Pollock, Dumfries Standard Wednesday

A LONG-RUNNING campaign to clampdown on drivers speeding alongside a secondary school has finally been successful.

Transport Scotland has agreed to extend the 30mph limit on the killer A76 trunk road to take in Sanquhar Academy.

According to local councillor, Jim Dempster, required regulations are about to be advertised.

The news comes hard on the heels of an accident at the entrance to the school which left the wall damaged.

“I don’t dare think what would have been the outcome if some of the youngsters had been in the area at the time of the collision,” Mr Dempster said.

“The A76, on which the school sits, is already recognised as one of the least safe roads in Scotland and this is one more small step in the overall improvement on the major trunk road.”

Mr Dempster has been involved in the safety campaign for a number of years.

The academy has a roll of 300 and is said to be the only secondary school in the region which sits outside a speed restricted area.

Mr Dempster added: “At long last my campaign to get the 30mph speed limit north of Sanquhar extended about half a mile, so that it includes the very important area of the academy has come to fruition.

“I have now received confirmation from Transport Scotland that it is about to advertise the required regulations that are needed to comply with the law and very shortly this serious anomaly that has existed too long will be remedied.

“Over my many years as a councillor this matter has been discussed by school councils, PTAs and other concerned groups and, while I acknowledge the success of the campaign, I really can’t understand why such a blatantly obvious hazard was not rectified sooner by the national agency responsible.”

He went on to say that there is a very high number of both people and vehicle movements in the area of the school, particularly at the start and end of the school day,.

He said: “This extension of the speed limit boundary northwards will certainly help in alleviating what I and many others consider an unnecessary risk to the students attending our local school.

“Once the regulations have been published there will then be street lighting erected, followed by the placement of the new speed limit signs at the boundary, which will be about 50 metres to the north of the most northerly part of the academy.”