CONCERNED parents, governors and staff are calling for a 20mph limit on a busy road outside two Portishead schools. Highdown Infant and Junior School Travel Plan Committee has written to North Somerset Council highway chiefs asking for the current limit o

CONCERNED parents, governors and staff are calling for a 20mph limit on a busy road outside two Portishead schools.Highdown Infant and Junior School Travel Plan Committee has written to North Somerset Council highway chiefs asking for the current limit of 30mph to be reduced to 20mph. The move follows increasing concern about the volume and speed of traffic travelling past the schools at Down Road.School travel plan spokesman Caroline Blake-Symes said: "The group has already successfully campaigned for a zebra crossing outside the schools which was installed in January this year. "However we do have a real problem with speeding outside the school."It seems as if more traffic is coming through the area, coming off at Clevedon and using Down Road as a short cut into the centre of Portishead."The stretch of Down Road from the roundabout by the police headquarters is a mile long, straight stretch and people get a real speed up when driving along it."The school, which has a nursery, infant and juniors, is also asking parents to park five minutes walk away from the school instead of outside the building when dropping students off.Mrs Blake-Symes added: "There have been a few near misses including drivers not stopping for the crossing patrol man."Cars have also gone over the crossing when people have been stood on it."We hope by getting a 20mph limit in place it will reduce the speed of traffic and make the area safer for students, staff and parents."The issues of speeding and parking outside the school are to be highlighted during national Road Safety Week this month and in a newsletter which has been sent to all parents.Highdown Junior School headteacher Arthur Grannan said: "More than 700 children attend both schools from the age of four to 11 so road safety in the area must be a priority for the schools, parents and local residents."North Somerset Council spokesman Steve Makin said the authority had received a request for a 20mph limit outside the school.Mr Makin added: "There are no plans to introduce a 20mph limit on Down Road at present. "However we are looking at ways of how to improve the visibility of the crossing and are discussing this with school staff and governors.