Council 'too slow to act' after boy's death

Evan Rothwell's family have called for an immediate reduction in the speed limit outside Kings School in Chester

Campaigners say a council is not responding quickly enough to their urgent calls for road safety improvements following the death of an 11-year-old boy.

Evan Rothwell died in hospital days after being hit by a car outside the Kings School in Chester on 12 November.

A petition calling for the 40mph speed limit on Wrexham Road to be lowered has reached over 14,000 signatures and campaign group spokesperson Jessica Garner said it was within the council's power to make the change immediately.

Cheshire West and Chester Council said a review of road safety on the road would begin in January, with other measures including repairing street lights taking place sooner.

Jessica Garner told BBC Radio Merseyside that while the campaigners welcomed the council's review of road safety on the road, it had only come about due to "the pressure of the resounding voices of the public".

She said "the temporary speed limit can and must be introduced now" before pupils return to school in January.

Ms Garner said the council needed to urgently assess safety risks given that there was a nursery on the road and a new school and psychiatric hospital were in the pipeline.

She said an independent review commissioned by the campaign group concluded that the speed limit on the road, which is one of the main access routes into Chester, should be lowered to 30mph, with a 20mph limit during school time.

"There's some relief that the council appear to have acted but there's very limited actions on there and the timescales are really vague," said Ms Garner.

She said the review was not going to start until January, "which is at least seven weeks since the incident and, for us, this is an unacceptable timescale".

'Consideration'

A Cheshire West and Chester Council spokesperson said the council extended its condolences to Evan's family and friends.

The spokesperson said the council would work with the school and police "to improve use of the junction" and would support the police and the coroner with their ongoing enquiries.

It has instructed an independent and comprehensive review of the operations of the junction and safety measures close to the King's School.

This would "include consideration of the speed limit and the suitability of traffic calming measures".

The spokesperson added that street lights had been repaired and pedestrian crossings improved.

Hedges would be trimmed to improve visibility and vehicle-activated speed warning signs would be installed in the coming weeks.

A memorial service for Evan Rothwell took place at St Werburgh's Church in Chester on Saturday 14 December.

The congregation wore Christmas hats, jumpers and antlers to remember Evan.

At the service, Evan's parents reiterated their calls for the speed limit to be lowered "to prevent this from happening again".