Furness Vale pupils kept indoors over roadworks dust

Head teacher Ruth Parry said you could "taste the dust in the air"

Children at a primary school had to be kept inside at playtimes due to dust from nearby roadworks, a head teacher said.

Derbyshire County Council is carrying out resurfacing work on the A6 Buxton Road in Furness Vale.

Ruth Parry, head teacher of Furness Vale Primary School, said she kept pupils indoors all day on Monday as the work created "incredible" dust clouds.

The council has apologised for any inconvenience caused.

Ms Parry said: "The A6 is an incredibly busy road and the dust clouds were incredible.

"You taste the dust in the air. You can really feel it in your eyes."

Stacey Titterton, who lives in Buxton Road, said part of her garden was "covered in dust" on Monday.

She said she had not received a letter from the council about the work and her only warning was when signs were put up the day before.

Temporary speed limit

Some residents said that their vehicles had been damaged by stone chips thrown from the road surface, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

Councillor Ruth George, who represents Whaley Bridge on the county council, said she had been contacted by many residents about the work and had requested an environmental health assessment.

The council has put a temporary 20mph speed limit in force while the roadworks are being carried out, but Ms George said a lot of vehicles were not sticking to it because the stretch was so long.

"They just end up speeding up," she said.

A council spokesperson said: "Surface dressing is a cost effective treatment that is carried out nationally by most councils and minimises further deterioration of the road surface.

"It seals the surface and provides good texture to enhance skid resistance.

"We know that it can cause dust for a short time, and would like to apologise for any inconvenience caused.

"If any resident is concerned about the works or any damage that might have been caused from the works, they should contact our contractor directly at [e-mail]."

A spokesperson for the council also said the loose chips were left for "a short period to be embedded by the action of traffic, after which any surplus chips are swept clear".