Labour MP says 'not good enough' after young girl hit by car in Warwickshire
A Labour MP has spoken out after a young child was hit by a car in Warwickshire. It happened near Oakley School in Leamington Spa.
Paramedics were called to the junction of Harbury Lane and Tachbrook Road at around 6.30pm on Wednesday, October 2. Crews found that a young girl had sustained potentially serious injuries. She was taken to University Hospital Coventry in Walsgrave.
Now Matt Western, MP for Warwick and Leamington, has issued a statement about the 'terrifying' incident slamming the pedestrian and cycle access near Oakley School as 'not good enough.' He said yesterday (October 6) that he had raised the matter with Warwickshire County Council.
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Mr Western said: “I was horrified to learn that a child had been hit by a car on the Harbury Lane junction near Oakley School. My thoughts are with the child and their family, and I hope they make a full and swift recovery after what must have been a terrifying incident.
“As I and so many parents have repeatedly stressed, the pedestrian and cycle access near Oakley School is not good enough. So many of us warned this would happen.”
He continued: “It must be an utmost priority to get this pedestrian and cycle access sorted immediately. Parents expect their children to be able to get to school safely. Anything less is unacceptable.
“I have written again to Warwickshire County Council to stress the urgency to get this fixed. It is already far too long overdue and we cannot allow incidents like this to become commonplace in our community.”
A spokesman for Warwickshire County Council told CoventryLive: “We understand residents' concerns regarding pedestrian and cycling access to the recently opened Oakley School, and there are safe routes from the new Heathcote estates located behind, however, at the current time, these are not the most direct routes and require children to cross Harbury Lane.
“Warwickshire County Council, as part of its commitment to providing infrastructure to support active travel, is upgrading the unsurfaced footpath immediately north of Harbury Lane. Works involve widening the existing path and providing an all-weather surface and lighting and are funded by a grant secured from the Active Travel Fund.
“Whilst this work is being completed, we are asking children to use slightly longer routes through Warwick Gates. More direct and convenient routes will be added in the future with routes via the Tachbrook Country Park and built out of the housing development on land between Oakley School and Harbury Lane, which is required to provide a new footway/cycleway between Duke of York Avenue and Oakley Wood Road.”
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