Council urged to revisit road

Langlee Drive residents present their petition to John Lamont MP.

Locals Albert Cruickshank, Claire Baillie and Elspeth Johnston started a campaign for speed bumps and more prominent signage along the road, which is used by parents to drop their children off at Langlee Primary School.

They have presented a petition to local MP John Lamont, who says he will now raise the issue with Scottish Borders Council.

The local authority has responded to calls in the past by saying that speed surveys suggest motorists go at an average of less than 20mph on the road.

However, resident Elspeth Johnston said that was not the case, and said she’s had a few close calls on the road.

She told us: “Because of the one-way traffic, drivers know that no cars are coming the other way, so many are just speeding round the corner.

“I’m disabled so there’s been a few times I’ve got out my car and nearly been knocked down by the traffic coming round.

“This is the main road to Langlee Primary School and the children run out between the cars and the traffic is going along there at some speed.

“The council have a duty of care to all residents and we just think they need to act before an accident happens.”

The petition was made available to sign at several local premises and has attracted more than 350 signatures.

Speaking after receiving the petition, Mr Lamont said: “I understand that measures have been taken around the school in particular, but I’d expect the council to take residents’ concerns seriously, particularly as so many people have signed the petition.

“Residents’ experience suggests that the council’s speed survey may not be painting a full picture, so I’d urge them to look again at this road.

“However, motorists also need to take some responsibility and problems such as irresponsible parking and speeding are all too common around a number of schools in the Borders.

“As well as speed reducing measures, this type of poor driving needs to stop.”

Fears were expressed back in September of last year over how some parents were causing an obstruction by parking their cars on the pavement to drop off or pick up their children.

Demolition work on the old Langlee Primary School, which was ongoing at the time had exacerbated the problem.