School crossing plea raised again

Saturday, 31 January 2026 07:00

By Bill Jacobs - Local Democracy Reporter

Helen Voegt At The Location Of The Crossing

The issue of a long-awaited pedestrian crossing for a suburban Blackburn primary has been raised again with the borough’s highways boss.

Livesey Parish Council has been campaigning for a new crossing outside St Francis School, in Cherry Tree Lane, for several years.

Hopes rose in April last year that it might be in the pipeline but nothing has happened.

Now former parish councillor Helen Voegt – who quit the body after switching from the Conservative Party to join Reform UK – has tackled growth boss Cllr Quesir Mahmood at Thursday night’s Blackburn with Darwen Council Forum.

She told him: “In 2025 when I was a parish councillor, I raised the issue regarding the necessity for a safe crossing solution for the children, parents and residents for St Francis School and Cherry Lodge Nursery.

“Can Blackburn with Darwen Council outline their road safety strategy going forward, and confirm when a safe crossing solution for St Francis School and Cherry Lodge Nursery will be implemented?”

Cllr Mahmood replied: “Blackburn with Darwen Council takes its road safety and collision reduction duties very seriously.

“Our current road safety strategy clearly shows this.

“St Francis School joined our WOW (walk to schools) programme in October 2025 and have recently had a School Route Audit carried out by Living Streets.

“This looks at how children walk to school and identifies potential barriers along the routes, involving input from the school, pupils and parents.

“The audit was carried out on January 15, and once we have received the findings from Living Streets we will consider the recommendations as a whole, and look to implement any necessary actions.”