FARNHAM Liberal Democrats, Jo Aylwin and Stewart Edge, are petitioning for a 20mph speed limit and safety improvements along the roads near Potters Gate Primary School.

The call for safety improvements has 175 signatures from parents and residents. The petition asks Surrey County Council to “make the roads around Potters Gate Primary School significantly safer by introducing a 20mph speed limit and by installing any other behaviour changing improvements”.

Mrs Aylwin, who recently stood for election in the Farnham Castle by-election, described the roads as a “rat run” adding forcing children to walk between parked cars “is a disaster waiting to happen”.

In 2016, a similar petition by school parents called for a controlled crossing on or nearby Falkner Road, but was met with no action from the council.

Now with approval given for the development of 120 Taylor Wimpey homes in the ‘hop fields’ near the school, Jo Aylwin said: “The time seems right to ask again for safety measures because ‘Section 106’ money from the development for local highways improvements could be made available.

“In the morning rush hour when children are going to school, cars use Beavers Road and Falkner Road as a ‘rat run’ to avoid jams in lower Crondall Lane and as a short cut to the Hart car park. With parked cars to walk between this is a disaster waiting to happen.”

The petition adds the situation “will worsen” with the development of 120 houses at the Beavers Road hopfields, for which Crondall Lane is the only exit.

A Surrey County Council blunder, back in April 2015, meant that £380,000-worth of available ‘Section 106’ infrastructure contributions were not claimed to fund vital improvements to transport, schools, parks, playgrounds and other community facilities to soften the impact of Taylor Wimpey’s 120 home scheme.

This includes improvements to Beavers Road and Falkner Road, which will be affected by the new homes, that Stewart Edge and Jo Aylwin are campaigning for.

The petition also comes after Lib Dem county councillor Angela Godwin recently called for a Surrey-wide 20mph speed limit in all residential areas at Surrey County Council’s Guildford Local Committee meeting on Wednesday, June 13.

The opposition councillor said: “More and more councils across the country are introducing the 20mph roads in residential areas.”

She also stated that steps to reduce the speed limit taken by Bristol City Council had led to improvements in air quality as well.