A campaign to install a pedestrian crossing outside a school is continuing – after the lollipop lady quit over safety fears.

We have been reporting for more than a year how worried parents and councillors want action taken on Leysdown Road which runs past Eastchurch Primary School’s St Clement’s site.

After much lobbying by Cllr Pat Sandle, Kent Highways agreed to cut the speed limit from 40mph to 30mph.

But she is calling for a further drop to 20mph and if this isn’t possible, would like the boundary of the 30mph limit to be extended.

Cllr Sandle also wants something done to help children and parents get over the road safely, as many of them park in the lay-by opposite and have to cross the busy flow of traffic.

She was under the impression when the school was built that a proper pedestrian crossing with beacons and road markings would be installed, but it has only ever been a crossing point – which is where the kerb is dropped – which she says is inadequate on such a fast road.

However, Kent Highways says it has met the planning conditions and would not be drawn further on whether the other requests were a possibility.

Head teacher Michelle Crowe said their lollipop lady had left recently as she felt it was too dangerous, as the crossing point is on a bend.

A new one has been appointed and is awaiting training, but the issue remains, she said.

“We would like a crossing installed ASAP – cars do go very fast,” she added.

Cllr Sandle said she had been told it would cost £18,000 just to move the speed limit, which she branded ridiculous.

“If they could [lower] the speed limit even a couple of times a day I would be happier,” she said.

“It’s a continuing saga and is horrendous up there.

“There’s an awful lot come in cars and they need a pedestrian crossing not just a crossing point and we are not going to let it go.”

The issues in Leysdown Road were again raised at the Swale Joint Transportation Board meeting last month.

It was agreed a letter would be sent to the county council’s Kent Highways department to ask them to consider the points made.

In the meantime, school children have also been involved in the campaign by designing posters.

Warden Parish Council ran a competition with Eastchurch primary’s St Clement’s site to get the youngsters to try to encourage cars to drive slowly in the area.

Year one pupil Amelia Simpson and year four Tommy Coultrip’s pictures were the winning ones.

They were given a £15 voucher each and a certificate and their posters have been put up on lamp-posts outside the school and in roads nearby.

Council chairman Pat Sandle said: “We were impressed with the designs – they were all really good. I was hard to pick a winner as they had all used their imagination.”