THIS for further information in response to the Vigo Road speeding story.

As one of the local Wintonward Test Valley Borough Council members, I was also interested in a letter in the April 10 edition, headlined “Parking notices are a joke as ‘kamikaze mums’ block roads”, which evidently referred to drop-off and pickup times around the Anton schools.

A few weeks before this I had been contacted by a mum, very concerned about children and road safety at these times and the need for a dropped kerb for disabled access to the school gates from the highway (I am the council’s representative for disability matters).

Having been with the mum to see for myself at the start of a school day, I am appalled by the dangerous behaviours of some motorists dropping off, which thoughtlessly puts children, even those on the public footpath, at risk.

We spent about 40 minutes that morning, speaking with people and the police constable who also arrived having seen something on social media.

Anton has neither a safe crossing outside the school nor a lollipop attendant, although following a further morning visit with a highways officer from Test Valley Borough Council I’m hopeful that together with the dropped kerb, the former can be addressed.

Of course, as has been stated, this is not a new problem, and I refer to another Advertiser headline in “Back Through The Pages”

from April 8, 2005: “Parents warned: park here and you’re fined”, detailing new safety measures, including fines, to be imposed outside some Andover schools.

This date was a couple of months after the tragic death of the child at Vigo referred to in last week’s articles.

Mentioning this when speaking with a motorist during our visits to Anton, I was shocked to be told they had been the driver involved, who although completely exonerated of blame, still lives with it every day of their life, as no doubt do the family of the little boy.

For them, my request is: please be more considerate and sensitive about future headlines and the content of any articles on this subject.

A governor for the last eight years at Portway Junior School, I was approached by a local resident a number of years ago when an elected member for Harrow Way about traffic problems around schools in the ward.

Working with a former Harrow Way highways officer, now with Hampshire County Council, we produced a presentation about how parking issues outside of schools across Test Valley were being addressed.

This went both to a Test Valley Borough Council over-view and a scrutiny committee and the Old Andover Forum. Discussions at the time were about how enforceable, or not, some of the measures were.

The safety of our children is indeed paramount. The solution, though, can only come in part by councils putting practical measures in place.

How communities deal with citizens taking responsibility for their own actions is another matter, but is perhaps something local councillors can actively help facilitate within their neighbourhoods, where local knowledge is always best.

Cllr Jan Lovell, TVBC Winton ward