In a chamber that has grown used to the slow grind of bureaucracy, last night’s Council meeting produced a rare moment of unity and purpose. Swindon’s new Green group, barely months into their tenure, saw their first motion carried—one that places road safety for schoolchildren front and centre.
The motion, brought forward by Cllr Tom Butcher, focuses on Akers Way, the road where 15-year-old Harry Parker tragically lost his life three years ago. Despite repeated calls from residents and campaigners, the layout has remained largely untouched since the incident, leaving many to question why such a vital crossing point—used daily by pupils of Nova Hreod Academy—has been left unchanged for so long.
Speaking after the vote, Cllr Butcher did not hide either the emotion of the moment or the relief at seeing action finally taken.
“This marks the third anniversary of losing Harry,” he said. “Yet nothing meaningful has been done to improve safety on Akers Way. It’s a crossing every Nova Hreod student relies on, and the risks have been obvious for a long time. We’re proud to use our voice in the Council to push through measures that should have happened already. I’d also like to thank the Labour group for backing this motion.”
The motion directs the Head of Highways and Transport, working with the Cabinet Member for the Environment and Transport, to design a town-wide school-crossing safety strategy. This will sit within the Safe Routes to School Programme launched earlier this autumn. Akers Way will act as the initial focus, with potential traffic-calming options to be explored—changes which may then shape improvements across Swindon.
While the details will come later, the tone of the meeting suggested a shared appetite for progress. If the council follows through, this may be the first step toward a more coherent, long-awaited approach to keeping pupils safe on their daily walk to school.
For now, though, many in the public gallery seemed grateful simply to see movement at last: not a fix, perhaps, but a beginning.
