TWO and a half years after a schoolgirl won over the council in her bid to have a ‘dangerous’ crossing outside her school improved, plans have finally been drawn up.

Eleanor Horner was just 13 years old when she stood up in front of a full Trafford Council meeting in March 2019 and asked for her journey to school to be made safer.

The existing island crossing close to her school, Altrincham Grammar School for Girls, can leave pupils waiting in the middle of the road for cars to stop and allow them to cross.

The junction, considered by Eleanor’s father Andrew to be ‘dangerous’, has lead to Eleanor and other pupils taking a much longer route to school to avoid the crossing entirely and left them unable to cycle to school in some cases.

Andrew Horner said: “Eleanor always wanted to cycle to school and I cycle a lot, but I would be worried about anyone who’s not an experienced cyclist using that junction.

“In the pandemic the crossing has actually become worse. When it’s really busy the traffic builds up so the cars stop and you can cross. When the traffic’s lighter they just keep rolling through at a continuous speed.

“Eleanor is older now and more competent at crossing, but I think if I had a child starting in Year 7 now, I’d be very worried about them using that crossing.”

Back in 2018 when Eleanor was in Year 7, she wrote to Trafford Council asking for them to make the crossing safer.

She then began a petition and gained a massive 600 signatures as well as the backing of all council party leaders at the full council meeting in March 2019 when she stood before them and put forward her case – something her father said was ‘quite remarkable’ for a girl her age.

Now, more than two and half years later, things have finally started to progress.

Transport for Greater Manchester has now launched a consultation for plans to improve the junction between Dunham Road and Gorsey Lane in Altrincham.

The plan is for a new controlled pedestrian and cycling crossing to be installed at the junction, allowing pupils at the nearby school space to safely cross the busy A56 near St Margaret’s Church.

The proposals also include an improvement to the junction at Shaftesbury Avenue with Aimson Road East in Timperley – including a new cycle path and new crossing facilities for pedestrians and cyclists.

The consultation will run until September 10, and people can have their say and get more information on the plans here: activetravel.tfgm.com/schemes/trafford/trafford-bee-network-crossing/.

Cllr Dan Jerrome, Green Party councillor for Altrincham, said: “Over 600 local residents signed Eleanor’s petition asking for this junction to be improved. We welcome the council making the changes they asked for. The result will be safer journeys for everyone, whether walking, cycling or driving.

“The crossing will enable more families to walk and cycle to local schools, which means healthier lifestyles, less pollution and fewer carbon emissions. But this is just one junction. There are many more that need improving if we are to have truly people-friendly streets. We will keep working until this is achieved.”

Cllr Stephen Adshead, Trafford Council’s executive member for the environment, said: “I am delighted TfGM and Trafford council have been able to support Eleanor in her campaign. Councillors were very moved and impressed by the speech she gave to members at full council in March 2019.

“Making the borough a greener and safer place is a major priority for Trafford Council and this scheme, if approved, will help contribute to this by taking cars off the roads.

“We are committed to supporting schemes which allow more people to walk and cycle safely across our borough. This will of course lead to cleaner air and huge health benefits for residents.”

Commenting on the plans, transport commissioner for Greater Manchester, Chris Boardman, said: “A new or upgraded crossing might seem a small change to a street but it can have a huge impact on the daily experience for local people.

“If we make our roads more pleasant and easier to navigate on foot, by bike, scooting or wheeling, we’ll enable thousands more everyday trips to happen without cars. That’s good for our mental and physical health, great for kids, helps to clean up the air and saves money. I’d encourage Trafford residents to get involved and have their say on these new proposed crossings.”