The pedestrian crossing has finally been installed on a busy road the a nursery in Kempsey, following a 12-year campaign by a local councillor.
The puffin crossing, located on Main Road (A38) near Kempsey Community Centre and Magic Moments Nursery, was activated on Friday shortly before midday. Malvern Hills district councillor David Harrison, who has been advocating for the crossing, said: “I’ve been pushing for this for 12 years. Initially, Worcestershire County Council didn’t think it was necessary, but as traffic worsened over the years, it became unavoidable.”
Harrison added that when the M5 closes in the evenings, drivers use the road as a diversion, often refusing to stop for pedestrians to avoid delaying their journeys. He also credited Worcestershire county councillor Martin Allen, stating, “Without Martin’s support over the last three years, I’m not sure this would have happened.”
Cllr Allen reflected on his involvement: “It’s been a three-year fight for me. When I first got involved, I was told it wasn’t possible. Just having the crossing in place will make drivers slow down.”
The crossing, completed eight weeks ago, had its activation delayed to allow for improvements to the surrounding lighting. Allen emphasized the importance of the location, saying, “With the nursery here, children and parents deserve to feel safe coming and going.”
Magic Moments Nursery owner, Natalie Burford, expressed her relief: “We’ve been asking for this crossing for a very long time, and I’m thrilled it’s finally here. It provides much-needed reassurance that children can safely get to the nursery.”
Worcestershire County Council Highways approved the crossing in June.
