Market Rasen parents raise safety fears as traffic mounts pavements near school and nursery

Parents in Market Rasen are urging action over safety on Kilnwell Road, saying children and families are being put at risk as vehicles mount the kerb on the narrow route. The concern is especially sharp because the road is used by people walking to a primary school and nearby nurseries. Families say the problem is not new, but that it has become worse while roadworks are under way on Queen Street, sending more traffic along Kilnwell Road as a diversion. One parent, Jade Wootton, has started a petition calling for changes and says the current situation feels dangerous for those travelling with young children.

She described vehicles pulling onto the pavement in front of her pram and telling her to move, adding to fears that the road is becoming unsafe for pedestrians. Other parents in the town have backed the call. They say the increase in traffic has brought a steady stream of vehicles through a road that already struggles when two drivers try to pass at the same time. Concerns have also been raised about larger vehicles, blind corners and the behaviour of frustrated motorists when the route becomes congested.

For families making the daily school or nursery journey on foot, the issue is not simply inconvenience. Parents say they are worried about whether they can get children to and from education settings safely, particularly when drivers use the footway to squeeze through. Town and Country Nursery, which is on Kilnwell Road, has also voiced concern about what staff have seen outside its premises. The nursery said it was deeply concerned by ongoing safety issues and pointed to a growing number of vehicles mounting the pavement.

Lincolnshire County Council said it was extremely concerned and disappointed by reports that some motorists had been deliberately driving on the footway. The authority said that behaviour was entirely unacceptable and should be reported to police. However, the council has expressed doubt about the idea of a temporary one-way closure. Its traffic manager said such arrangements can be difficult to enforce and may simply shift the problem onto other minor roads, creating further hazards elsewhere.

That leaves families pressing for a more lasting answer. Parents say they want Kilnwell Road to be changed permanently from a two-way street to a one-way system, arguing that the present layout no longer works safely when traffic levels rise. For Market Rasen, the row highlights a familiar issue in Lincolnshire towns, where roadworks on one route can quickly place pressure on nearby residential streets. In this case, the debate is centred not on traffic flow alone, but on the safety of children and parents using the pavement.

Northern Powergrid has said the work on Queen Street is due to be completed by 3 April. Until then, concern in this part of Market Rasen is unlikely to ease.

This story was adapted by The Lincoln Post from original reporting by www.bbc.com.