One-way system for school road

One-way system for school road

26 August 2015

TRANSPORT NI has given the strongest indication yet that it is going to implement a controversial one-way system outside a busy Downpatrick Primary School.

Eighteen months after education inspectors called for an “urgent review” of road safety outside Our Lady and St Patrick Primary School in Edward Street, senior Transport NI officials have confirmed they are to begin planning for the scheme.

Publicly the officials have labelled the one-way scheme as an “option” but when they held private briefings for local politicians last week on a new transportation study for Downpatrick they confirmed the one-way system is on the cards.

There has been significant concern among governors, staff, parents and local politicians over the traffic chaos that takes place almost every morning and afternoon outside the busy primary school as parents off and collect their children.

The narrow street has two-way traffic and parking and although an attempt was made to ban lorries this is routinely ignored. 

As an addendum to a report published in January 2014, school inspectors highlighted the safety problem and called for action. “There is a need for an urgent review of the children’s safety at drop-off and pick-up times due to limited parking at the main entrance and the difficulties in accessing the school safely from the main road,” said the inspectors.

However, there is strong opposition to plans for a one-way system from residents of Edward Street  and surrounding streets, a point recognised in a formal statement from Transport NI this week..

Commenting on the private briefings to politicians the statement confirmed that two one-way systems are being considered, one in Edward Street and the other in Market Street.

“However, we are aware of significant objections,” said the statement. “Development of these proposals will require further consultation, acquisition of land and satisfactory completion of necessary legislation as well as the necessary funding.”

Downpatrick councillor Cadogan Enright, whose son is a pupil at the school, has been a longstanding critic of roads officials for failing to act to improve safety outside the Downpatrick school.

He was briefed by Transport NI officials on the new transportation study on Friday and afterwards aid he was pleased roads officials have been forced to rerun the consultation into the one way system in Edward Street.

“Their original consultation was simply a trawl for objections, and did not allow for hundreds of supporters of the scheme to express support.,” he said.

“As a local resident and parent of a child attending school in Edward Street I took the Road Service to the Civil Service Ombudsman over this. I needed an MLA to sponsor my complaint, and I must thank Chris Hazzard MLA for this support. 

“Hopefully this fresh consultation will bring relief to local residents and parents alike,” he said.

Elsewhere, Transport NI’s traffic study is proposing changes to a number of Downpatrick town centre junctions, including Collins’ Corner and the widening of part of Fountain Street.

Transport NI is also continuing with its investigations into a scheme to create a new link road from Irish Street to St Patrick’s Avenue through the site of the existing police station.