Children crossing a busy main road to get to a Woodford Green primary school may benefit from a zebra crossing after councillors pledged £15,000 towards the scheme.

Pupils living in the Orchard Estate have to cross Broadmead Road to get to Ray Lodge Primary School in Snakes Lane East and parents called for a crossing as far back as 2009.

On Tuesday, councillors at the area two committee meeting in Sir James Hawkey Hall, Broomhill Road, Woodford Green, were asked to consider £41,000 works to create a divided crossing with a central pedestrian island, lanterns and paving.

They previously agreed traffic calming measures in another section of the road, between Charteris Road and High Road, which were installed last year.

But they were told a crossing, which would sit close to the junction with Finchingfield Avenue, would not qualify for Transport for London funding because it does not meet criteria on accident rates and speed surveys.

But Cllr Ian Bond questioned the criteria.

He said: “It says at peak times there is a car crossing every four seconds and 15 per cent of the traffic is well over the speed limit.”

Two surveys showed 85 per cent of cars travelling at 35 and 37 miles per hour and a pedestrian study had three people crossing the road every minute during the peak school hour of 8.15am to 9.15am.

Cllr Robin Turbefield suggested seeking funding from Redbridge Council’s children’s services department towards the works.

But Cllr Michael Stark said: “It strikes me as total insanity.

“Area budgets are for small projects for particular wards without ongoing costs.

“No way could it be for major projects that the council can’t pay for.

“I have a lot of sympathy but its not costs for children’s services, it’s for the cabinet to dedicate from the highways department.”

Cllr Paul Canal said ongoing costs would not be accrued by the area committee.

The councillors voted in favour of contributing £15,000 with further funding to be sought from cabinet.

Brian Mazdon, chairman of the Maybank Residents’ Association, said: “I’d like to thank you for supporting this.”