Safety measures approved for dangerous road after Southsea nursery has wall destroyed twice

Portsmouth City Council's traffic boss, Councillor Lynne Stagg, has approved £40,000-worth of improvements to Victoria Road North in Southsea including bollards on the corner pavement and vehicle activated signs.

In comes as the Rainbow Corner Day Nursery along the road had its outer wall knocked down twice by drivers who were either speeding or drink driving in the early hours of the morning, in the space of just two years.

During a traffic and transport meeting this week at which the decision was made a deputation by Lucy Whitehead, the owner of Rainbow Corner Day Nursery, was read out.

She said: ‘Had these incidences occurred in the day the consequences would have been much greater. The boundary wall protects our play area.

‘On both occasions the cars knocked down the walls and damaged some of the toys the children had been playing with earlier that day. It is only a matter of time before someone is hurt.

‘This has damaged our reputation and following the latest accident a petition for safety measures was set up with nearly 600 signatures.’

As part of the improvements chevrons will also be installed on the corner and ‘slow’ markings will be painted on the road.

Cllr Suzy Horton, the council's education cabinet member, supported the changes. She said: ‘We often hear the phrase “it’s an accident waiting to happen”, which I did many times a number of years ago. Sadly we have had two accidents - luckily they were in the middle of the night. I don’t have to paint the picture if they had been at another time.

‘The road is a really tricky road in terms of engineering and working within the guidance to make a safe crossing there and to slow the traffic. I think it’s the best that can be done.’

The £40,000 cost of the scheme would be funded by the council’s neighbourhood improvement fund.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news online - as well as fewer adverts, access to our digital edition and mobile app.

Our trial offer starts at just £2 a month for the first two months.