Crackdown on parking outside York school

8:58am Tuesday 24th April 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Haydn Lewis, haydn.lewis@thepress.co.uk

PARKING restrictions to stop parents problem parking near a York primary school have been welcomed by a local councillor.

City of York Council has passed measures to restrict parents parking outside Our Lady’s Queen of Martyrs RC School, in Holgate, when they drop off and pick up their children.

Holgate Ward Councillor Joe Riches said: “This is an important step forward in ensuring the area is safe for school children, parents, staff and local residents and that traffic can flow efficiently.

“I’m pleased to see a ‘no stopping order’ for the beginning and end of the school day has been agreed for opposite the pupil entrance, meaning proper enforcement can be undertaken if drivers persist in parking opposite the school”.

The Press reported earlier this year that after the new school opened in January, following the merger of Our Lady’s and English Martyrs, the increase in pupil numbers caused problems for residents who said parents were parking illegally, driving on to grass verges and effectively turning Hamilton Drive into a one-way street.

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

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 and our staff don’t have a car park 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(19)

AnotherPointofView says...
9:09am Tue 24 Apr 12

Don't stop at this school. There are restrictions at all schools.

Parents just ignore the restrictions. They need enforcing. Hand out a few parking tickets.

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Pete the Brickie says...
9:16am Tue 24 Apr 12

So basically the main problem is the car park isn't finished on the council run school premises, forcing the council employees working there to park on the road, leaving parents nowhere safe to stop and the council's answer is to use council resources to patrol the area and fine the parents. Wouldn't it have been more suitable, cost effective and better serving of council tax payers to pay some overtime to get the car park finished quicker or organise a temporary car park for their staff?

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Paul Hepworth says...
9:20am Tue 24 Apr 12

A simple consequence of national legislation which Local Authorities have to follow ie the freedom to choose which school to send your kids to. This has repeatedly created a situation where many families choose to live in favoured areas that are also beyond practicable walking and cycling distance to chosen schools. This creates car dependancy and all its associated problems. And boy don't we notice a difference in the morning peak, outside term times. Public transport, deliveries and other essential road journeys are made so much more easily.

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bagpuss73 says...
10:01am Tue 24 Apr 12

The school created the problem of car dependency for half it's pupils who used to go to our lady's alot now won't walk the extra distance so use the car
York council should look at changing policy for admissions and automatically assign children a school place at their local school not chosen one . Parents then should only have option to appeal away from their local school for set circumstances

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John Cossham says...
10:34am Tue 24 Apr 12

Next one should be the St Lawrence's C of E Primary School on Heslington Road. At hometime, it's very dangerous cycling there as the people picking up their offspring in cars park in the cycle lane, and just yesterday, a car overtook me as I was passing all the parked cars as another car was coming in the opposite direction.... the one overtaking me gave me very little space. Then a bus came up behind me, and as I had a heavy load of logs, and was going slowly, it had to wait until we'd got to well past the school, at The Retreat, for it to pass. Of course, I thanked the bus driver with a wave, but all the cars parked there in the cycle lane on a narrow road makes me feel vulnerable and angry.

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Candy Cupcake says...
11:18am Tue 24 Apr 12

Mmmm ask where the Lord Mayor and his Civic party parked yesterday? Oooh outside the school on double yellow lines!

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carl19692 says...
11:24am Tue 24 Apr 12

I would say all schools have similar problems.... from parking illegally to the annoying parking on a grass verge,pavement or right on a street corner.... heaven forbid the parent should make little johnny/jenny walk!

I think its a positive step to place some regulation outside schools but realistically when are these parking enforcements actually patrolled?
There seems to be a lack of parking attendants/traffic wardens/transport free flow managers or whatever the politically correct term is nowadays!

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I despair!!! says...
11:56am Tue 24 Apr 12

Parents have been given permission to park in the Railway Institute car park but as that would mean a five minute walk, they dismiss it.
Harlow Road gets so full with cars that it is sometimes impossible to drive through there. I would think that it would be very difficult for an ambulance/Fire engine to get down.

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Yorkresident1 says...
1:00pm Tue 24 Apr 12

John Cossham wrote:
Next one should be the St Lawrence's C of E Primary School on Heslington Road. At hometime, it's very dangerous cycling there as the people picking up their offspring in cars park in the cycle lane, and just yesterday, a car overtook me as I was passing all the parked cars as another car was coming in the opposite direction.... the one overtaking me gave me very little space. Then a bus came up behind me, and as I had a heavy load of logs, and was going slowly, it had to wait until we'd got to well past the school, at The Retreat, for it to pass. Of course, I thanked the bus driver with a wave, but all the cars parked there in the cycle lane on a narrow road makes me feel vulnerable and angry.
I completely agree! I cycle past this school every morning at dropping off time and am amazed at how many cars park on double yellow lines blocking the cyclelane- 10 or more cars usually. I am a parent myself, my children attend a different school where there has been a parking crackdown which has worked and do understand it can be difficult to get to school on time but this is downright dangerous and should be tackled. I have been in very similar situations as John Cossham describes on Heslington Road.

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roskoboskovic says...
1:03pm Tue 24 Apr 12

the whinging anti car lobby are out in force.oh for the days when the luddites could use a pony and trap.

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bagpuss73 says...
1:04pm Tue 24 Apr 12

Its the same at Carr Junior school - a while ago they tried to make it better by putting double yellow lines down one side of the road to allow the buses to get thru easier -
DOH !! they put them on the wrong side of road which means the buses get stuck waiting for traffic coming the other way who have priority road flow free from parked cars on their side of the road instead ! and cars have to pull into the entrance of the school to let them pass which put kids in danger
THere is the alotments car park opposite there always empty which could easily be used for parking at school times to alleviate some of the problem

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JC42 says...
3:31pm Tue 24 Apr 12

I would put parking attendants outside every school they will pay for themselfs with all the parking fines they would issue. It amazes me how quiet this city is on a morning coming into work when schools are closed.

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yawn.. says...
3:40pm Tue 24 Apr 12

...make people walk.. what on Earth will that do to the rising tide of childhood obesity!!!

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xtc says...
4:03pm Tue 24 Apr 12

John Cossham wrote:
Next one should be the St Lawrence's C of E Primary School on Heslington Road. At hometime, it's very dangerous cycling there as the people picking up their offspring in cars park in the cycle lane, and just yesterday, a car overtook me as I was passing all the parked cars as another car was coming in the opposite direction.... the one overtaking me gave me very little space. Then a bus came up behind me, and as I had a heavy load of logs, and was going slowly, it had to wait until we'd got to well past the school, at The Retreat, for it to pass. Of course, I thanked the bus driver with a wave, but all the cars parked there in the cycle lane on a narrow road makes me feel vulnerable and angry.
Yeah too right seen pcso s doing nowt about parents making this road dangerous about time it got sorted more fines no excuses.

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xtc says...
4:06pm Tue 24 Apr 12

John Cossham wrote:
Next one should be the St Lawrence's C of E Primary School on Heslington Road. At hometime, it's very dangerous cycling there as the people picking up their offspring in cars park in the cycle lane, and just yesterday, a car overtook me as I was passing all the parked cars as another car was coming in the opposite direction.... the one overtaking me gave me very little space. Then a bus came up behind me, and as I had a heavy load of logs, and was going slowly, it had to wait until we'd got to well past the school, at The Retreat, for it to pass. Of course, I thanked the bus driver with a wave, but all the cars parked there in the cycle lane on a narrow road makes me feel vulnerable and angry.
Would also like to remind whinging greenie and tell everyone about how abusive he is to us motorists then screams police if confronted the parking is an issue but so is what you think is your god given right to abuse people suggest you think about that!!

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John Cossham says...
2:15am Wed 25 Apr 12

Dear 'xtc', I do hope you're not referring to me as a 'whinging greenie'? I can occasionally say something to an idiot motorist.... the same as I will often thank a considerate one, but I've never suggested the police get involved, if a motorist swears at me or is verbally abusive.

There was one occasion where a group of cyclists were out enjoying a gentle cycle ride, and an irate motorist drove into two of us. Other cyclists blocked the idiot in, and someone called the police who took statements and cautioned the driver. He was on his way to the Rock Church on Priory St, believe it or not!

I wonder if he thought it was his 'god given right' to deliberately drive into a group of cyclists who were going slower than he wanted to go?

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Bo Jolly says...
8:02am Wed 25 Apr 12

Paul Hepworth wrote:
A simple consequence of national legislation which Local Authorities have to follow ie the freedom to choose which school to send your kids to. This has repeatedly created a situation where many families choose to live in favoured areas that are also beyond practicable walking and cycling distance to chosen schools. This creates car dependancy and all its associated problems. And boy don't we notice a difference in the morning peak, outside term times. Public transport, deliveries and other essential road journeys are made so much more easily.
Strange how, on the one hand, you recognise the structural social pressures that make people dependent on cars (there are lots more, obviously, including now the closure of the recycling centre serving the whole of west York), but on the other hand believe that deliberately increasing congestion and making life difficult for motorists will simply 'magic' those pressures away...

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angry mam says...
5:10pm Wed 25 Apr 12

I drive passed St Lawrence school every day. Its a nightmare. I have called the school to complain and they said its nothing to do with them. They told me that letters have been sent home asking parents not to park outside the school. I called the council and they told me it was a police matter. I seen a parking warden in town and complained to him. The next day, 2 parking wardens were there. No one parked there that day. Next day cars outside school on the zig zags and double yellow lines. They should be there everyday and giving tickets out straight away. I think a £50 fine might put them off parking there again.

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John Cossham says...
1:41am Thu 26 Apr 12

I'm not quite as proactive and angry as 'angry mam' but I'm with you; I'd like to see more of these people walking and cycling, and if they HAVE to come in their gas-guzzlers, please put them somewhere safer, away from the school entrances and bike lanes. Surely people can walk a few minutes to a car down a side street?

I might write to the Council/Police about this, and try not to shout at motorists blocking my right of way, since it's been pointed out that I do occasionally shout at wrongdoers!

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