A new toucan crossing is set to be built on a residential road in Kenilworth to help students travel safely to the new school on Glasshouse Lane.

Warwickshire County Council (WCC) has approved plans for the works on Dencer Drive which form part of a wider project to create cycling and walking routes to the new Kenilworth School.

Initially the council had proposed to install traffic lights and a pedestrian crossing at the junction of Leyes Lane and Dencer Drive.

But this was met with objections from residents who said this would cause traffic problems.

Updated plans for the toucan crossing - which were subject to a public consultation - were approved by portfolio holder for transport and planning Cllr Jan Matecki last Friday (July 14).

The scheme will see a toucan crossing installed on Dencer Drive near Leyes Lane. On either side of the crossing, a joint cycleway and footpath on the pavement will continue along Leyes Lane.

The designs for the proposed new toucan crossing (image via Warwickshire County Council)

"Alternative crossings arrangements have been explored including the zebra crossing which would create more delays to general traffic and would not provide the same level of safety to school children and would not cater for cyclists," a WCC report

said. 

"Therefore, a signal-controlled toucan crossing is the preferred solution."

A recent WCC report on the works along Glasshouse Lane said some of the safety measures - including the new crossing - will not be completed until after the new school opens this September.

See the full plans here.