A road crossing is set to be installed near Norton St Nicholas Primary and Nursery School, following a petition by residents.

A new puffin crossing will be created on Norton Road, near Croft Lane, Letchworth.

A puffin crossing is a pedestrian crossing with sensors, meaning that the lights only change when no more pedestrians are detected on the road.

The Comet: Schoolchildren and parents having to cross Norton Road to get to Norton St Nicholas and Northfields Schools.Schoolchildren and parents having to cross Norton Road to get to Norton St Nicholas and Northfields Schools.

Work is set to begin on Monday, April 3.

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A spokesperson for Hertfordshire County Council told the Comet: "Following calls from residents for a safer walking route to and from Norton St Nicholas Primary School, Hertfordshire County Council will soon install a new signal-controlled puffin crossing on Norton Road, by the junction of Croft Lane.

The Comet: Parents and children wait for a gap in the traffic to cross the busy Norton Road during the morning school run.Parents and children wait for a gap in the traffic to cross the busy Norton Road during the morning school run. (Image: Chloe James)

"These works will begin on Monday, April 3, and have been planned to coincide with the start of the school Easter holidays, so as to minimise disruption for parents, children and school staff.

"We will use those two weeks to complete as much of the work as possible, and for that, Norton Road will be closed to traffic 24/7 until Friday, April 14.

"Some daytime and nighttime closures will follow, expected to last until Saturday 22nd April.

                                                                                               

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"Drivers of larger vehicles will need to divert away from this area and are advised to check local height and width restrictions in advance.

"We apologise in advance for the disruption and delays which these works will cause locally, and please be assured that we have planned to keep both of these to a minimum."

Residents and local councillors had previously campaigned for a crossing to be installed, following "several near misses".

At the time, this was supported by county councillor Simon Bloxham, who allocated £25,000 from his Highways Locality Budget to design a crossing.

However, due to financial pressures, this installation was postponed.

Cllr Daniel Allen, who campaigned for the road crossing, told the Comet: "After years of campaigning from local people and Norton Action Group, this crossing is finally coming to fruition.

"Making Norton safer, not just for children, but for everyone looking to enjoy the village and access the greenway.

"I want to thank County Cllr Tina Bhartwas for her work and dedication to making this happen."