Residents’ anger over parking outside Holgate primary school

9:22am Tuesday 28th February 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Richard Catton, richard.catton@thepress.co.uk

Traffic congestion outside the new Our Lady Queen of Martyrs RC School in Holgate, at hometime Traffic congestion outside the new Our Lady Queen of Martyrs RC School in Holgate, at hometime

A SURGE in the number of parents dropping off and picking up their children at a York primary school has turned the street into a “battlefield” according to nearby residents.

Our Lady Queen of Martyrs RC School in Holgate opened last month following the merger of Our Lady’s and English Martyrs, which was demolished to make way for the new school.

However, the increase in pupil numbers is causing problems for residents, who say parents are parking illegally, driving onto grass verges and effectively turning Hamilton Drive into a one-way street.

Annette Cooper, 61, said: “I am sick of trying to get over the road. They are parking down each side of the road on the yellow lines. It’s backing up way past West Bank Park.

“This morning I couldn’t get across the road again and nobody will let you cross. It’s almost turned the road into a one-way street because of cars parked on each side of the road.

“I’m worried about a child getting knocked down,” she said.

Another local resident, Don Tyson, 72, said: “It’s a battlefield. They seem to get there really early to get a prime spot.”

“When they knock the other part of the building down I’m hoping they include some kind of drop-off point where you can drive in and back out.”

Coun Janet Looker, City of York Council’s head of Education, Children and Young People’s Services, said she had not been made aware of the problem at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs, but said parking around primary schools was “a nightmare” and said she would see what could be done about the situation in Hamilton Drive.

Head teacher Derek Sutherland said he understood the anger of local residents, but said the spring term was “always going to be difficult”.

He said: “It’s been a little bit more difficult with roadworks taking place nearby at the moment. Our staff don’t have a car park either at the moment so they are parking on the road. Our new one will open in May.”

He said staff were out every morning reminding parents of the school’s guidelines on parking and he also said local residents should contact the authorities or police if people parked illegally.

Comments(55)

long distance depressive says...
9:41am Tue 28 Feb 12

God forbid any of the little dears will have to actually get properly dressed AND BE WALKED TO SCHOOL! Am sure if there is any illegal parking going on then the council will see it as a source of income and get a warden down there to do the right thing.

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Candy Cupcake says...
9:42am Tue 28 Feb 12

My son attends this school, and I really sympathise with the residences, as it is mayhem. The school are doing everything they can to reduce the traffic, Mr Sutherland is often seen outside along with other members of staff moving on illegal parkers, and they have set up a park and stride with the RI, but parents are choosing not to use this and park as close to the school as possible. There is also a problem with parents pulling up and letting children jump out of the car. Bottom line, it just boils down to shear laziness.

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ReginaldBiscuit says...
9:50am Tue 28 Feb 12

There's 2 easy ways to sort this out. Force a nominal parking charge on non-residents (great way to make revenue - if you can afford to drive a car, you should be able to pay 50p) or create a pick-up/drop off zone in the school grounds rather than out of them. Use part of the playground.

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AnotherPointofView says...
9:58am Tue 28 Feb 12

Get the wardens round there!

Unfortunately this isn't the only school in York like this. The majority are nearly as bad. The Council should get tougher with the parents.

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Mentos says...
10:10am Tue 28 Feb 12

"He said: “It’s been a little bit more difficult with roadworks taking place nearby at the moment. Our staff don’t have a car park either at the moment so they are parking on the road. Our new one will open in May.”"

See how it goes after these two contributary factors are no longer present

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AM14 says...
10:15am Tue 28 Feb 12

I agree that this is probably the same as most other schools. In Acomb, Almsford Road and surrounding streets are a crazy nightmare when Carr Infant School starts and finishes. Double parking, parking on grass verges, blocking residents driveways and parking on a junction - some of which is not only illegal but also dangerous to the very children being dropped off and picked up. I think it would help if these areas were checked on a regular basis by the relevant 'authorities' and parents spoken to as and when necessary. I know Carr School have spoken many times to parents. Residents have too and been verbally abused. Everyone wants the children to be dropped off on time and safely and everyone can work together to makes these situations better.

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unclebuck says...
10:17am Tue 28 Feb 12

Best of luck to the residents, I live very close to the old Our Ladys School and this was a problem we endured for many years. parents parked over our drive on many a day, when challenged you got abuse or the old excuse of i'll only be a few minutes. Mr Sutherland didn't want to know then either!

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pedalling paul says...
10:19am Tue 28 Feb 12

There seems to be a reluctance by many school staff to live close to their workplace. Also parents do not have to send their kids to the school nearest where they choose to live. So a lot of lifestyle decisions are being made which create car dependancy.
Even where offspring live within practicable walking or cycling distance, there is a reluctance by some parents to let their offspring travel under their own steam.
Green travel plans, walking buses, safe cycle routes and training all help to damp down this trend and CoYC is in the "top tier" of Local Authorities who promote these alternative choices.
Past attitudes may be summarised in a cartoon picture that I saw. A school run mum was pointing to a cyclist that she'd just flattened while saying to her son "See, I told you the roads aren't safe to pedal on!"

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Ignatius Lumpopo says...
10:46am Tue 28 Feb 12

If a parent wants a child to attend a church school, there's every chance that it won't be the closest. Once upon a time it was common practice for 6 year-olds to travel unaccompanied - and safely - on public transport. My primary school was over a mile away and I travelled to and from it by bus. It seems we've managed to let that world disappear. Congestion and badly parked cars should be the least of our worries.

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lis0r says...
10:54am Tue 28 Feb 12

The council should get real: they should require that parking and access are in the _first_ phase of any proposed development, and that they are genuinely sufficient to mitigate any problems they facility would cause the surrounding area. If they'd done this in the first place with the new uni campus, for example, they'd have kept a whole load of you gasbags silent.

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Keepthewheelsturning says...
11:21am Tue 28 Feb 12

Same old problem, just a different school. The wardens have a difficult job in which school to go to. But end up getting there at 3pm or before and the parents just park somewhere else for that day knowing it will be back to normal the next day. My real concern is cars parking on not only the yellow zig-zags markings but also on crossing zig-zags. I have complained about this to NYP only to be shocked that they have to receive a number of complaints before an officer can be assigned. According to the highway code if you are found on these markings parked, its a instant 60 pound fine and 3 points.

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Bigwood says...
11:26am Tue 28 Feb 12

Its the same problem with most schools. All these narrow minded parents who think its too dangerous for little jonnie to walk to school don't actually stop and think and realise that is they who are creating the problem!

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dsom73 says...
11:50am Tue 28 Feb 12

The government should do something. Perhaps an annual Road Tax, Aggressive duty on fuel or inexplicably high insurance premiums would cut down the useage of cars on the school run.

I blame the council.

And John Guildford.

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Pete the Brickie says...
12:12pm Tue 28 Feb 12



pedalling paul says...
10:19am Tue 28 Feb 12

There seems to be a reluctance by many school staff to live close to their workplace



The reason for this is obvious to anybody Paul, if they lived any nearer they could get to school when it's snowing.

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lis0r says...
1:11pm Tue 28 Feb 12

Pete the Brickie wrote:


pedalling paul says...
10:19am Tue 28 Feb 12

There seems to be a reluctance by many school staff to live close to their workplace



The reason for this is obvious to anybody Paul, if they lived any nearer they could get to school when it's snowing.
And here was me thinking it's because teaching is so badly paid that most of them can't afford to live close to their school.

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YorkPatrol says...
1:46pm Tue 28 Feb 12

Why don’t they utilise the playgrounds for car parking/dropping off areas??

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was york now rotherham says...
1:47pm Tue 28 Feb 12

if the locals are that peed off with it all then why not block off the road at school opening and closeing times so they have to walk the kiddies too and from school.

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alfie says...
1:49pm Tue 28 Feb 12

Come on guys you cant blame folk for wanting to drop the kids off as quick as possible so they can get back to eating biscuits and watching Jeremy Kyle.

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Pete the Brickie says...
2:04pm Tue 28 Feb 12

lis0r wrote:
Pete the Brickie wrote:


pedalling paul says...
10:19am Tue 28 Feb 12

There seems to be a reluctance by many school staff to live close to their workplace



The reason for this is obvious to anybody Paul, if they lived any nearer they could get to school when it's snowing.
And here was me thinking it's because teaching is so badly paid that most of them can't afford to live close to their school.
Yes you might have something there, property whithin walking distance of a school is always much more expensive. That being the case it must be almost impossible for teaching staff to find homes in the small, remote villages in which they are forced to live in order to be easily cut off by a slight fall of snow, which of course all contain said learning establishments close to most dwellings in them.

This post was sponsored by Gooddoc and ZuluCharlie

Disclaimer

The stunts described above such as getting out of bed when it's snowing and going to work are undertaken by normal people with no specialist training or equipment. No claims will be accepted for injuries to teaching professionals attempting to copy them.

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ZuluCharlie says...
2:27pm Tue 28 Feb 12

Just like I've said previously Pete...... You've been found out.
Walt the brickie

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BioLogic says...
2:39pm Tue 28 Feb 12

pedalling paul wrote:
There seems to be a reluctance by many school staff to live close to their workplace. Also parents do not have to send their kids to the school nearest where they choose to live. So a lot of lifestyle decisions are being made which create car dependancy.
Even where offspring live within practicable walking or cycling distance, there is a reluctance by some parents to let their offspring travel under their own steam.
Green travel plans, walking buses, safe cycle routes and training all help to damp down this trend and CoYC is in the "top tier" of Local Authorities who promote these alternative choices.
Past attitudes may be summarised in a cartoon picture that I saw. A school run mum was pointing to a cyclist that she'd just flattened while saying to her son "See, I told you the roads aren't safe to pedal on!"
Paul you have surpassed yourself

"reluctance by many school staff to live close to their workplace"

Do you have any concept of the financial pressures that affect people. Staff will drive as they cannot afford to live near their work, or because their families are settled in another area. Parents will often drive children to school for the same reason and dont use "park and stride" because they do not have time. Most schools offer a very narrow window in which to drop off children off and any pre-school clubs come at a cost that many parents can ill afford.

"Green travel plans, walking buses, safe cycle routes and training" are simply a smokescreen to make it look like authorities are tackling a problem by trying to make it look like it is everybody's fault but theirs for addressing travel issues in a practical and realistic way that people can and will actually adopt. The stick is no good without the carrot!

This time paul you really have succeeded in being a pompous ****!

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Guy Fawkes says...
2:43pm Tue 28 Feb 12

Passenger seat occupant of silver car in the picture: "Come on - put your foot down! Bonus points if you get one of those swanky £400 buggies!"

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Pete the Brickie says...
2:49pm Tue 28 Feb 12

ZuluCharlie wrote:
Just like I've said previously Pete...... You've been found out.
Walt the brickie
I hardly think my quips are comparable with Disney's work Charlie.

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minicooper says...
3:21pm Tue 28 Feb 12

the lovely staff at the local out of school club collect my children after school so I am not upsetting the local residents by parking and my children are safe and happy !

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idlehousewife says...
3:54pm Tue 28 Feb 12

Elvington school is just the same.There is an accident just waiting to happen.

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Big Bad Wolf says...
4:08pm Tue 28 Feb 12

idlehousewife wrote:
Elvington school is just the same.There is an accident just waiting to happen.
I agree ... Elvington school is a nightmare at 8.45 and 15.30

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Big Bad Wolf says...
4:10pm Tue 28 Feb 12

Maybe the school playgrounds could be utilized to cater for parents dropping off and collecting their children?

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yorkborn66 says...
4:18pm Tue 28 Feb 12

I find it ironic that the current trend is to close schools, and make parents and children travel further to another school. When I was a kid my infant/junior school was just over a mile away, and we walked. My secondary school was about 2 miles away and I walked or cycled. I am sure many people reading this did the same. Because now both parents usually have to work to make ends meet, one parent needs to take the young kids to school, and if this is not within a reasonable walking distance then the car is the only option in most cases.
The usual scenario is one parent works part time around school times and may need to travel to work by car to get there on time. Of course there are parents that are just plain lazy and cannot be bothered to walk and go back home.
I have a daughter starting university and 2 youngsters that walk to school about 15 mins walk, and they do no matter what the weather, and it amazes me to see parents who live within 10 mins walking distance taking the kids in the car, and going back home.
Cycling to school would be a great option, but if you have two young children riding on the footpath and the parent on the road, what does the parent do with the kid’s bikes once the kids are in school? . Magnify this by the amount of parents and kids then the paths would be a motorway for young kids on bikes, and pedestrians, especially are older citizens would rightfully complain.
If you buy a house near a school it would be reasonable to expect a little disruption around school time, also the value of your property will be significantly higher. But this amount of disruption is beyond a joke.
I fully sympathize with the local residents on this, I had to travel past this school Monday in my work van on kick out, and it was mayhem.
Is it the school at fault, or maybe York council for not having a strategy in place to accommodate extra car traffic at planning stage?
As other posters have said this is not just a problem at this school but also, many other schools. Extending the zig zag lines and possibly having double yellow lines that are signposted to come into effect around school time would work for safety of the children but would only move the cars to the closest streets to the school at start and finish. Thus moving the problem elsewhere.
It will be interesting to see the knock on effect of extra car journeys if Burnholme School does close.
Walking to school or cycling is the answer if possible, but the more schools that close, the further parents and kids have to travel.

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YorkPatrol says...
4:46pm Tue 28 Feb 12

“A SURGE in the number of parents dropping off and picking up their children at a York primary school has turned the street into a “battlefield” according to nearby residents”


Really, a Battlefield?? Do the parents dive out of their cars and take cover whilst lobbing grenades into the resident’s gardens, are snipers stationed at key strategic points to infiltrate the school leavers with the teachers using drones to take out the lollypop lady?


The ages of the “2” complaining residents says it all – busy body, curtain twitches with nothing else letter to do. If they had anything about them, they set up a business charging for the use of their drive spaces

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Caecilius says...
4:58pm Tue 28 Feb 12

The fundamental problem here is exactly the same one that's at the root of all the congestion in and around York. There's a finite amount of space available on the roads and it's not enough to accommodate all the vehicles that people want to put on them. And, typically, a proportion of motorists offload the consequences of their choice to use a car onto other people, by ignoring parking restrictions, ploughing up verges and generally demonstrating their contempt for everyone else's interests.

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bananapajama says...
5:25pm Tue 28 Feb 12

Yet another reason why all schools should be year round boarding schools.

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the butler says...
5:34pm Tue 28 Feb 12

common sense is nowhere in this article,build a horse shoe access to the playground, in, out drop off inside the playground area. absolutely no parking on the street no matter the reasons given, patrol it, rigorously. let the children walk or ride a byk, the exercise will do the children a world of good...

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yorkborn66 says...
5:35pm Tue 28 Feb 12

Caecilius wrote:
The fundamental problem here is exactly the same one that's at the root of all the congestion in and around York. There's a finite amount of space available on the roads and it's not enough to accommodate all the vehicles that people want to put on them. And, typically, a proportion of motorists offload the consequences of their choice to use a car onto other people, by ignoring parking restrictions, ploughing up verges and generally demonstrating their contempt for everyone else's interests.
The vast majority of congestion is caused around school times. All the children and teenagers need to be at school by 8.45 / 9.00 and leave from 1500 to 1530.
I would love to, but will not bleat about the good old days but at least then they was enough schools to accommodate the population of York without the need of a car. It is a fact when the kids are not at school how easy it is to commute around York. How many schools have closed over the years in York? . The problem lies with why people need to commute by car at a certain point in the day. Until this is fully understood and addressed the problem will only get worse.
I am sure everyone would love to go green and be environmentally friendly, but until we have a realistic affordable transport policy and local amenities and schools this will never happen. There were more schools and amenities in 1970 in York than they are now, is this progress?

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GoodDoc says...
5:58pm Tue 28 Feb 12

Very amusing 'Pete'. Coming from a wannabe-builder who claims it impossible to work when it's cold, I won't take your criticism too seriously. The frequency of your posts on here shows just how hard you work.
.
And 'Pedalling Paul', I realise that you principally come here to get a rise, but I'm just checking you don't seriously expect all teachers to move to the same neighbourhood as their school. That would be laughable, after-all, wouldn't it? Shall we all live within walking distance of our jobs? Or is it just education staff you want to single out?
.
Wow, I've really fed the trolls today.

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McArthur Crown says...
6:09pm Tue 28 Feb 12

I'm assuming this is still one of York's few catholic schools? And this is what happens when you have "faith" schools - parents are encouraged or feel pressured to drive for miles to get to one.

I live around the corner from this school but weren't given places here - we're not catholics. We often walk our kids up to Poppleton Road school without complaint, even though we have a car.

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pedalling paul says...
10:41pm Tue 28 Feb 12

GoodDoc wrote:
Very amusing 'Pete'. Coming from a wannabe-builder who claims it impossible to work when it's cold, I won't take your criticism too seriously. The frequency of your posts on here shows just how hard you work.
.
And 'Pedalling Paul', I realise that you principally come here to get a rise, but I'm just checking you don't seriously expect all teachers to move to the same neighbourhood as their school. That would be laughable, after-all, wouldn't it? Shall we all live within walking distance of our jobs? Or is it just education staff you want to single out?
.
Wow, I've really fed the trolls today.
Actually I heard from one teacher that living in the same catchment area as their pupils could endanger the safety of the teacher and their house in some circumstances....... hence an instinctive tendency to live further afield and become car dependant.

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yorkshirelad says...
10:46pm Tue 28 Feb 12

I totally agree that this is a very major problem tolerated for far too long. Its actually a problem at all local schools - not just the 'faith' schools.

But how much are we generally as a community to blame?

What is our reaction when speed controls are suggested that might make our childrens walking/cycling route to school safer?

What is our reaction when someone suggests more cycle lanes to make cycling safer for our children ...and make us a bit more like other European countries?

Well...look no further than the responses to this currently in the news pages for an idea...

http://www.yorkpress
.co.uk/news/9555325.
MP_in_cycle_lanes_ta
x_break_plea/

Ultimately if we create a community in which it is hostile for children to walk/cycle to school then we pay the price...

Your choice...

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yorkshirelad says...
10:48pm Tue 28 Feb 12

PS...Surely cars trashing grass verges is vandalism...pure and simple.

If the children did it they'd be in real trouble!

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marvell says...
1:35am Wed 29 Feb 12

This is totally unbelievable - to quote...

"Coun Janet Looker, City of York Council’s head of Education, Children and Young People’s Services, said she had not been made aware of the problem at Our Lady Queen of Martyrs"

There was a MAJOR half hour discussion at the Holgate Ward Committee with Cllr's Alexander, Crisp and Riches about exactly this.

Residents turned up to discuss this with their Labour councillors and you're telling me that the Cabinet member directly responsible for this issue has not been made aware of this?

Either Cllr Looker is not up to her job and should resign or she has not had the Holgate feedback given to her or she is lying...

Which is it...

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mortandindi says...
7:33am Wed 29 Feb 12

If you think thats bad you want to try Church Lane, Bishopthorpe twice a day, the mothers don't like to walk for more than 10 yards. lazy people in the extreme.

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desmond tiblets says...
9:21am Wed 29 Feb 12

YorkPatrol wrote:
“A SURGE in the number of parents dropping off and picking up their children at a York primary school has turned the street into a “battlefield” according to nearby residents”


Really, a Battlefield?? Do the parents dive out of their cars and take cover whilst lobbing grenades into the resident’s gardens, are snipers stationed at key strategic points to infiltrate the school leavers with the teachers using drones to take out the lollypop lady?


The ages of the “2” complaining residents says it all – busy body, curtain twitches with nothing else letter to do. If they had anything about them, they set up a business charging for the use of their drive spaces
All the residents of Harlow road especially near the puss and boots are sick of the mayhem caused by lazy parents dropping there kids off.this once proud street is now over run with chavs parking anywhere

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gurgles says...
9:31am Wed 29 Feb 12

...suffer little children...

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Rockmamma says...
10:26am Wed 29 Feb 12

God forbid that little Tarquin and Cressida should walk to school. They could encounter allsorts of dangers, like chavs or dirt. xXx

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yorklover says...
10:36am Wed 29 Feb 12

pedalling paul wrote:
There seems to be a reluctance by many school staff to live close to their workplace. Also parents do not have to send their kids to the school nearest where they choose to live. So a lot of lifestyle decisions are being made which create car dependancy. Even where offspring live within practicable walking or cycling distance, there is a reluctance by some parents to let their offspring travel under their own steam. Green travel plans, walking buses, safe cycle routes and training all help to damp down this trend and CoYC is in the "top tier" of Local Authorities who promote these alternative choices. Past attitudes may be summarised in a cartoon picture that I saw. A school run mum was pointing to a cyclist that she'd just flattened while saying to her son "See, I told you the roads aren't safe to pedal on!"
Why should staff live near the school? Should nurses buy houses next to a hospital, Tesco workers live near the superstore? What a ridiculous comment!
It's the parents that need to re- think whether their kids could walkk to school with a friend if necessary. Any child aged 9 and over should be able to walk, if not younger if very near. My son walks half an hour to school. It's great exercise and gives him independence.
However I have to say the private schools create the most traffic. You can sail down Bootham when St Peter's and Bootham are on holiday!

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jadestars says...
11:48am Wed 29 Feb 12

Every school in York is the same, no where to park near a school, angry residents, and a ton of jobs worths having a go! How much wasted ground is there right outside the majority of schools that could quite easily be turned into parking bays? About time the council sorted the issue, it's simple really!!

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YorkPatrol says...
12:10pm Wed 29 Feb 12

desmond tiblets wrote:
YorkPatrol wrote: “A SURGE in the number of parents dropping off and picking up their children at a York primary school has turned the street into a “battlefield” according to nearby residents” Really, a Battlefield?? Do the parents dive out of their cars and take cover whilst lobbing grenades into the resident’s gardens, are snipers stationed at key strategic points to infiltrate the school leavers with the teachers using drones to take out the lollypop lady? The ages of the “2” complaining residents says it all – busy body, curtain twitches with nothing else letter to do. If they had anything about them, they set up a business charging for the use of their drive spaces
All the residents of Harlow road especially near the puss and boots are sick of the mayhem caused by lazy parents dropping there kids off.this once proud street is now over run with chavs parking anywhere
I think you need to go back to school judging by your grammar and spelling…

Don’t be parking outside though!

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groble says...
12:24pm Wed 29 Feb 12

The school has a map of where all these kids live, can they not get a school bus sorted out? I walked to primary school (30 mins walk) and got a bus to secondary school

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Even AndyD says...
12:44pm Wed 29 Feb 12

Lack of consideration on both sides. Why do people need to park so close - why not park away from the mayhem and walk for 5 mins?
Residents....well come on, you live near a school. Its only a few minutes a day for 8 months a year.
Problem with society today is its always the other person's fault.

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desmond tiblets says...
1:02pm Wed 29 Feb 12

YorkPatrol wrote:
desmond tiblets wrote:
YorkPatrol wrote: “A SURGE in the number of parents dropping off and picking up their children at a York primary school has turned the street into a “battlefield” according to nearby residents” Really, a Battlefield?? Do the parents dive out of their cars and take cover whilst lobbing grenades into the resident’s gardens, are snipers stationed at key strategic points to infiltrate the school leavers with the teachers using drones to take out the lollypop lady? The ages of the “2” complaining residents says it all – busy body, curtain twitches with nothing else letter to do. If they had anything about them, they set up a business charging for the use of their drive spaces
All the residents of Harlow road especially near the puss and boots are sick of the mayhem caused by lazy parents dropping there kids off.this once proud street is now over run with chavs parking anywhere
I think you need to go back to school judging by your grammar and spelling…

Don’t be parking outside though!
Sorry miss.didn't know you were a teacher at the school.will slap my own bottom

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Mary Donne says...
1:31pm Wed 29 Feb 12

mortandindi wrote:
If you think thats bad you want to try Church Lane, Bishopthorpe twice a day, the mothers don't like to walk for more than 10 yards. lazy people in the extreme.
Nothing to do with working mothers having to drop the kids off first before driving to their jobs then?

Oh and most kids have two parents who could be dropping them off at school - but let's not let that get in the way of chucking a bit of vitriol at the female of the species, eh?

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Clickclick says...
1:46pm Wed 29 Feb 12

Never mind the schools, have you tried to get past Clifton Bingo at kicking out time?! Cars, taxis, buses and old people everywhere! They cross the road like herds of wildebeest crossing a river, once one goes they all go and sod the traffic!

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old_geezer says...
2:42pm Wed 29 Feb 12

Crikey, vitriol everywhere!

If I had to drop a child off for this school, I'd do so a couple of hundred yards away rather than face conditions as described. If safe, the child could walk the rest; if not, I'd spend a few minutes parking then walking with them.

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cthomas79 says...
12:37pm Fri 2 Mar 12

I have a child at primary school. I normally have to take my daughter to Morning Club as I start work before she starts school but I know what its like at drop off time. I know how manic it can be. However having said that, these local residents surely must have known what it would be like when they bought their house. If you live that close to a school you would expect to have a bit of disruption at certain times of the day. It's like those people who buy an inner city house or a house next to a pub and complain about the noise late at night! Well you chose to live there! what did you expect??? I realise some of these residents have lived in these houses long before cars were invented! But times change! Most of these parents have a mad rush on a morning to get their kids to school and then get to work. My wife has had many issues with workplaces not taking our kids in to consideration and just not caring and insisting you are at work at 09:00 on the dot, thats the world we unfortunaley live in, everyone is in a rush all the time! And dont have time to obey simple rules like parking in the right place. Not excusing this but just seeing it from a different perspective. I am sure thisngs will get better once the car park is finished, so just live with it, or work around it.

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Gramayre says...
6:58pm Fri 2 Mar 12

At least the school in Stockton on the Forest have negotiated the use of the pub car park nearby for parents to use. It works very well.
If folks moan about the distance they have to travel to school, I had to catch a bus on Bishy Road at 6.50am to go to Taddy. When schools are extended/built nowadays they should include parking for parents to drop off or negotiate parking in local car parks (either council or pubs) and get parents to walk a bit.

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Steve, says...
3:12pm Sat 3 Mar 12

There's 2 problems:

Lazy parents and snobs on the street.

2 solutions:

The snobs charge the drivers for parking there on a weekly basis and hit them in the wallet or obstruct their own drives and force the parents to go somewhere else.

I used to bike or walk to school and there was bike racks available on site.. it's because parents want to drop their kids 'safely' at the door, but the reality is this teaches them no road sense - let them flipping walk and grow up understanding that convenience costs, how much do parents spend xtra in fuel doing these runs? surely that would pay for family luxuries and days out worth the mileage rather than school runs?

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