Closing street means children play safely, mums say

Parents who have been closing their road to through-traffic every week so their children with special educational needs can play outside have said it has had a life-changing effect.

Families living on Belgrave Road, in Colne, Lancashire, are trying to stop cars from passing through from 17:00 to 19:00 every Wednesday to ensure their children can play safely.

The idea is part of the national Play Streets scheme, backed by Pendle Council, and sees the street only open for residents and marshalled by volunteers in high vis vests.

Lynette Sherratt-Connelly said it stops the road being used as a dangerous "rat run".

"Nobody travels at 20 miles an hour on this street," the 42-year-old said.

"It's too dangerous, and I spend half my life shouting 'car'."

Lynette decided to organise the play street sessions as her eight-year-old son is autistic, so taking him to a park is "difficult", but she said, "outside my own house, if he has a meltdown, I can bring him in".

The mother of four's neighbour, Deborah Charnock, 39, similarly has children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Deborah said her seven-year-old son, who has suspected ADHD, can now learn to ride a bike during the weekly sessions.

"His dad tried it with him when he got his bike and it was literally 'car… car… car…'," she said.

"He's now learned to ride his bike nearly without stabilisers, he plays hopscotch, they play football, they do chalking."

Deborah only moved to the area in February, but has already found her community through the play street sessions, and she hopes it will help her 16-year-old daughter, too.

"My daughter is diagnosed autistic, and she hasn't been to school for about three years, she hasn't stepped foot out my door, and it took her quite a few sessions, but she actually comes on the front street now," said Deborah.

"She's got selective mutism, so I'm hoping these sessions bring her more out of herself."

Councillor Sarah Cockburn-Price, who is helping to push the scheme through Pendle Council, said a lot of the children having special needs means "they especially need to be safe near their homes".

The Conservative councillor said she is waiting for final paperwork to be approved before the road can be formally closed, but that it will not be policed by the council.

"It is down to the enthusiasm of the parents to do the policing, we just create the framework at the council to enable it to happen," she said.

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