Road marking to slow traffic outside Frome schools branded 'confusing' and 'dangerous'

• ITV News has been speaking to parents about their concerns over the markings.

New road marking designed to slow traffic down outside two schools in Frome have been criticised by parents for being "confusing" and "dangerous".The markings are part of a number of measures installed by the town council to make the streets around Oakfield Academy and Critchill School safer.

The safer school streets scheme, for which Frome Town Council has been given a £350k grant from the Department for Transport, includes a 20mph zone, pedestrian and cycle zone, new crossings, changes to traffic priorities, planters, benches and bike racks.

The scheme, which encompasses four schools in total, is designed to slow drivers down and encourage people to take more active modes of transport to school such as walking and cycling.

But some parents are concerned some of the changes do not make the area safer, especially for children with special educational needs and disabilities.

Craig Adams' eight-year-old son attends Critchill School, which teaches children with additional needs. He said the colourful road markings in particular are difficult to navigate.He said: "They're round dots, they mirror a lot of the things in the playground.

"My son has autism, additional needs, so to try and explain to him that it's safe to play in the playground, but the same colours, the same shapes and things on the road are not a safe space to play. That can be very difficult for him to understand."

Craig said he thinks the money spent on the scheme would have been better used in other areas, such as foodbanks and support for families struggling with the cost of living.

Karen O'Connell, whose daughters go to school in Frome, said she was concerned the new traffic priorities were making it easier for drivers to speed and there was confusion over the use of informal crossings, which left drivers and pedestrians unsure who had right-of-way.

Karen said: "I think it's very dangerous. I feel like it's an accident waiting to happen, none of these road markings are in the highway code.

"Personally, I feel that the coloured markings in the roads are confusing for children, especially special needs children and first school children.

"It's like a playground. They feel that they can jump in the spots, my daughter thought it looked like Twister in the road."Frome Town Council said the safer school street scheme money was awarded to them by the Department for Transport, and following a consultation, asked a transport charity called Sustrans to design and carry out the work.

The council also said the traffic calming measures were in place on a trial basis and residents and parents concerns would be listened to.

Cllr Anita Collier, from Frome Town Council, said: "We want desperately to have that feedback. These things can be changed.

"Sustrans have actually made changes to their designs throughout the country. We know that that's possible.

"It will come as a cost. But this whole scheme has been funded by government money that comes from the Department of Transport.

"We know there are trials and that will be built in (to the cost), changes may have to be made."

A spokesperson for Sustrans said: "Colourful street markings are a common proposal in school street designs.

"They alert drivers to the fact that there may be people around the street and, as part of a larger package of traffic calming measures, encourage them to slow down.

"The street markings around Frome safer school streets were created through a collaborative co-design process with the community including pupils from the local schools. Residents from the local streets helped to choose the designs."

The company added that a Road Safety Audit (RSA) was carried out on the designs before construction, and there is due to be another Safety Audit following the completion of works.

"RSAs are a normal process when changes are made to the highway.

"Any issues raised will have actions agreed between Frome Town Council, which is responsible for the Safer School Streets project, and Somerset Council, which is responsible for the highway."