A long-running campaign for a zebra crossing on a busy road which hundreds of schoolchildren have to negotiate every day has moved a step closer to success.

Dozens of worried parents living on the Orchard Estate in Woodford Green submitted a petition to the council in 2009 calling for a crossing on Broadmead Road.

However, the scheme does not meet Department of Transport or Transport for London criteria for funding.

But on Tuesday night councillors at an area two committee meeting agreed to provide £15,000 from ward funds and request an additional sum of around £20,000 from the council’s cabinet to make the crossing a reality.

Speaking in favour of the scheme, Cllr Gwyneth Deakins of Roding ward said: “There are around 180 children from the Orchard Estate at Ray Lodge and the majority of them walk to school.

“The road may not meet these criteria, but it is clearly dangerous and one accident to one child would be too many.”

The scheme would meet DoT criteria but for the fact that it would have to be treated as a double crossing because of the width of the road.

Blasting the criteria, Cllr Ian Bond of Roding ward said: “That just doesn’t make sense, it’s just stupid.

“The data shows that at peak times someone crosses the road every 20 seconds while a car goes past every four seconds and a third of the cars observed were speeding.

“What clearer case could there be for a crossing?”

The original estimate for the scheme put costs at £41,000, but councillors agreed to scrap plans for a £5,600 upgrade of existing pedestrian islands.

The news was welcomed by people on the Orchard Estate.

Mum of nine Carole Conway, 44, said: “Nobody stops on that road it’s like a racetrack.

“My nine-year-old always wants to run across to see his mates and it’s a constant worry to me that he’ll get knocked down.”

Great grandmother Frani Fuller said: “We have been going on about getting a zebra crossing for 30 years.

“My grandson Tyler was knocked over there five years ago and ended up in hospital and there have been many more accidents I can tell you.”

Amanda Jennings, head teacher at Ray Lodge, said: “Ray Lodge is delighted to learn that part funding for a zebra crossing in Broadmead Road has been agreed.

“A zebra crossing would enable a larger number of our children to safely walk to school each day.

“We believe that children who walk to, or part of their way to, school arrive more ready for their learning and therefore hope the proposal will go ahead.”