By Dan Thompson
A young person whose action inspired a new zebra crossing in Margate has visited the site after it has been installed, and been presented with an award for her campaigning work while she was there.
Lily Stentaford was inspired to campaign for a safer crossing after taking her foster brother to football practice. She realised that Hartsdown Park was used by large numbers of young people, but busy Hartsdown Road had no safe crossing points.
In an email at the time, she said: “I am 17 years old and I have created a petition for a safe road crossing between Hartsdown Park and Hartsdown school because I have become deeply concerned about the safety of my peers and people within the area.”
Looking back, she says: “’I was motivated by frustration. I needed to do something meaningful.”
She started a petition on the change.org website, and youth arts organisation Arts Education Exchange picked up her appeal. The young people at VOTC, the organisation’s youth board, adopted the campaign. Lily says: “Arts Ed Exchange shared it everywhere, and there was lots of support from the get go.”
While Kent County Council raised concerns about cost, the minimum pedestrian footfall, and the amount of traffic needed to meet the difficult criteria for a zebra crossing installation, Green councillor Rob Yates, then Mayor of Margate, saw the need.
He first met Lily in December 2023, and supported her by organising a photo shoot, highlighting the campaign, lobbying the council, and working with officers.
The zebra crossing was built in February this year, with a small pot of funding from Thanet District Council and £80,000 from Kent County Council used to widen pavements, change the road surface, add new road signs, and install the crossing itself.
This month Rob took Lily to visit the crossing for the first time. While Mayor of Margate, he gave out nearly 50 awards to local community champions, and on their visit the ex-Mayor presented Lily with one.
“I’m really proud of our young people who created a petition, and lobbied local politicians that resulted in a new zebra crossing,” says Joe Kondras, Music Lead at Arts Education Exchange. “This should give us all hope in the power of young voices and how they can benefit everyone.”
Three years later, a college that works with young people who have a range of needs is campaigning for a pedestrian crossing on the busy road by its site. Liberty College, which hopes to have a crossing installed at Enterprise Road on the Westwood Industrial Estate, might like to look to Lily for campaigning tips.
Ooh Well done!
Congratulations Lily, this will benefit everyone in the community. Thank you.
Although it is a most welcome addition why on earth has it been put so close to the junction with George V Avenue? 30 yards further along the road would have put it in line with the entrance to Hartsdown Park and well away from what can be, at times a very busy intersection.
I thought that.
Any further from the junction, and most people going to/coming from school wouldn’t bother with it.