I AM a parish councillor and vice chairman of Brockhampton Group Parish Council.

One topic that has been discussed regularly in my seven years as a councillor is the 60mph speed limit on the Bromyard Downs road which connects the B4203 Stourport road and A44 and passes Brockhampton School.

I am appalled that no positive action or progress has been made to reduce the limit in front of the school, which has approximately 140 pupils, of pre-school and primary school age.

It is recognised that a 20mph speed limit is the norm outside any school and that 40mph across common land with poor visibility and high usage of recreational users (families out for a walk, dog walkers, horse riders) is advisable, not 60mph.

The short days and poor weather lead to a higher risk to all, let alone some of our most vulnerable young people, parents, grandparents, teachers and all that make the school run.

Would any local authority pass planning permission for a school which has a road passing one metre past its main entrance with a 60mph speed limit without conditions requiring traffic calming and the speed limit being reduced to 20mph or indeed grant permission at all?

Our clerk raised the parish council’s concerns with Balfour Beatty and received a long, detailed and fairly positive reply.

At the top of the list for key factors to be considered is history of collisions. I wrongly thought that prevention was the key to a safer community.

Do we all really want to read in the news that someone young or not so young has been injured or killed on this road and the powers that be say that lessons must be learned from this?

Please, no more time wasting and indecision, just do the right thing for our highly respected school and excellent recreational area.

CLLR PAUL FRIEND Bringsty