PERTURBED parents have claimed a victory for people power after a 20mph limit was finally installed to protect school pupils on a ‘dangerous’ Colley Gate road.

More than 1,500 signatures were collected by concerned mum Lisa Scally in an attempt to get traffic calming measures introduced near Colley Lane Primary Academy on Colley Lane.

Speeding cars and near-accidents had worried parents for several years but the school has now been included on Dudley Council’s Safer Routes programme.

A 20mph speed limit will now be enforced within school times, much to the delight of Mrs Scally and fellow campaigner James Clinton, who petitioned local businesses to secure funding for new signs.

Mr Clinton said: “I’m so immensely proud of Lisa and everyone who signed the petition to help bring around the inclusion of Colley Lane onto the ‘Safer Routes to Schools’ scheme.

“Now that the 20mph zone is operational and other modifications have been made to Colley Lane and Slade Road in conjunction with the presence of safety patrol cars, I feel that the parents locally will feel safer on the school run.”

Mrs Scally added: “I am overwhelmed with the success after such a long battle fighting for the children's safety in Colley Lane. This is a great result.”

Halesowen North councillor Karen Shakespeare, former Dudley Council cabinet member for environmental services, said she was delighted the ‘Safer Routes’ bid had succeeded.

Cllr Shakespeare added: “This was agreed under the Conservative administration and I was delighted to see it recently implemented.

“It was a project we felt needed to be put forward and we listened to what parents and local people were saying.

“It was a big thing to make it 20mph during opening and closing times of the school. It makes it more visible to road users.

“If we had set that limit all the time, people driving on Saturday or Sunday nights, for example, would just ignore it. Making it during opening and closing times makes people think about the safety of the children.

“It’s great to see it in place and I hope the parents in the area are pleased.”

Miss Helen Hale, headteacher of Colley Lane Primary, added: “I am really pleased that these (measures) have been put in place to reduce the speed of traffic.

“This will help keep the children safe when coming to and from school. We are now awaiting the recruitment of a much-needed school crossing supervisor.”

Councillor Khurshid Ahmed, Dudley Council cabinet member for environmental services, said: “Improving children’s journeys to and from school is a top priority for the council.

“The new school zone along Colley Lane is part of our annual safer routes to school programme, which focuses on improving road safety around our schools.”