Seven-year-old campaigns for speed limit cut in Kings Worthy (From Hampshire Chronicle)

Seven-year-old campaigns for speed limit cut in Kings Worthy

5:10pm Wednesday 27th January 2010 in

By Andrew Napier »

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WHEN seven-year-old Sophie Johnstone was told she couldn’t have a kitten because the road she lived on was too dangerous, she launched a road safety campaign.

The Kings Worthy Primary School pupil wrote to Winchester MP Mark Oaten to see if he could do something to slow traffic in Springvale Road.

She hopes to cut the speed limit from 40 to 30 mph to make it safer for an adventurous kitten to go exploring.

The Year Three pupil has started a petition and has already gathered 60 names. It will also be placed in the nearby Tesco Express, hairdressers and pharmacy.

She hopes to get a pedestrian crossing in Springvale Road by the Tesco Express.

Sophie said: “We walk to school nearly every day. I walk on the side nearest to the houses because when the cars come past it quite scares me, they go really fast.

“I have been begging for a cat, a big fluffy one, but mum says the road is too dangerous.

“I was good friends with the cat next door, but he crossed the road and got killed.”

Sophie’s mum, Mel, said: “She wants a cat but I said the road is too fast. Sophie said ‘what can I do?’ and I said write to your MP.”

Mr Oaten wrote back, and with Martin Tod, the Liberal Democrat prospective parliamentary candidate, has taken up the issue.

Mr Tod said: “I’m very impressed with Sophie’s campaign.

“She’s doing a brilliant job and deserves to succeed. What she’s saying is also consistent with what we’ve heard from many other people in the village.

“The parish council and the county council now need to get together and sort this out.”

Mel said her daughter was very determined.

“Once she gets something in her mind, she tends to follow it through.”

The campaigners hope to get the parish council on board too.

Mel added: “We have lived here two years. The speeding is constant.

“There is always someone going down there too fast. Even in the snow.”

Comments(6)

campfreddie says...
1:23pm Thu 28 Jan 10

So these people have lived there for two years and now are complaining about speeding traffic. I would suggest that traffic speeds have remained the same for well over 2 years, so they should have thought about that before moving here. As for telling a child that they can't have a kitten because the road has a 40 limit and not a 30 is crazy. A cat hit at 30 is still going to die! I don't suppose for one minute that the childs' parents currently drive 10 mph less than the current speed limit, to safeguard other peoples cats. There is nothing wrong with traffic speed limits in Kings Worthy. Leave them alone.