DETERMINED parents have submitted another request for a crossing after an application was refused last year.

Parents campaigning for a crossing in Brentwood Road in Hollingdean, Brighton, say parked cars do not allow sufficient visibility of oncoming traffic when people attempt to cross the road.

Cicely Lloyd, one of the parents who started the campaign for the crossing, said: “What we’ve got is a particular type of pedestrian – we’ve got tiny toddlers, mums with babies, we’ve got the siblings, the little ones linked to the juniors.

“Then we’ve got all these kids with additional needs and for them it is pretty challenging crossing the road.

“It is such a crazy blind bend and especially with the bus route and parked cars.”

Ms Lloyd said the area surrounding Brentwood Road, now being labelled as The Gateway to The Downs, is used by more than 320 children at four surrounding schools and nurseries.

Joan Marshall is headteacher of Hertford Junior School in nearby Lynchet Close.

She said: “Visibility at this point is poor due to the parked vehicles and dazzling sunlight at certain times of the day.

“Cars are also prone to accelerate as they go over the brow of the hill.”

A previous request for a crossing was turned down after a Brighton and Hove City Council survey concluded the volume of pedestrians was not great enough to warrant it.

Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion, has thrown her support behind the project after visiting parents.

She said: “With hundreds of children attending the nearby schools, and other groups and classes held at the Sure Start Centre, I think there’s a clear case for a pedestrian crossing on the road – and I’ll be going back to the council to reiterate that.

“Rather than waiting for an accident to happen, it’s really important community views are listened to, and I’d strongly urge a review of measures to improve road safety there.”

A spokesman for the council said: “A request for a crossing facility in Brentwood Road, Hollingdean, was submitted to the council yesterday.

“The application will be assessed and, if found to be justified, the proposal will be referred to the environment, transport and sustainability committee.”