Edinburgh City Council moves road signs after angry parents raise fears for pupils safety

A council work crew has been sent out to move signs blocking a pavement which parents say has forced youngsters to walk on a busy road to get to school.

Let us know what you think and join the conversation at the bottom of this article.

Redhall Grove junction off Redhall Road is the main access point into Longstone Primary School and is trekked by dozens of pupils daily.

Minibuses and taxis ferrying disabled children to Redhall School for pupils with special needs also use the route every day.

Redhall Grove junction off Redhall Road.

Redhall Grove is currently closed in connection with Places for People and large signs signalling the road closure have been placed in the area by the council.

Concerned parents have warned of the danger the signs pose as they are positioned on the pavement which restricts pedestrian access and has forced pupils to walk on the busy road to get to school.

One parent of a pupil, who prefers not to be named, told the Evening News that he was “shocked” there had not been a serious accident yet.

The father-of-two said he has had a couple of near misses.

Redhall Grove is currently closed in connection with Places for People.

“It’s absolutely crazy,” he said, “The road is always packed with cars, minibuses, taxis as well as children and parents walking.

“The other day I had to reverse into the road to turn and someone walked straight into the car, luckily I was only going about two miles an hour but it is still very dangerous.

“The situation is horrendous and my biggest fear is that a kid will get hit.”

Another concerned parent said communication from the council about the road closure has been poor.

The signs block pedestrian access and have forced pupils to walk on the busy road.

They said: “There has been no communication and no formal letter about when the road will be reopened. The lack of communication is terrible.”

The council confirmed that the signs should not have been put on the pavement and dispatched staff today to return the signs to their proper place.

A Council spokesperson said: “These signs should be placed on the road, not the pavement.

“We have arranged for our contractors to visit the area to reposition the signs so they do not obstruct the footway.”

A council work crew has been sent out to move signs.

A message from the Editor:Thank you for reading this article. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

If you haven't already, please consider supporting our trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription.