Inconsiderate parking around a primary school in Bradley Stoke has led to a complaint from a local Neighbourhood Watch group concerned about access for emergency vehicles.
Wheatfield Primary School has received a formal letter of complaint from the Harvest Close Neighbourhood Watch group highlighting problems residents are experiencing as a result of “Wheatfield parents/carers parking inconsiderately in and around the Close”.
An extract from the letter printed in the latest school newsletter reads:
“Over the last few months there have been an increasing number of parents using the Close to park their cars to collect their children and some have shown little respect for the residents in doing so.”
“Our driveways have been obstructed on several occasions making it difficult for us residents to access or exit our own homes.”
“Parents have been using our driveways to reverse their cars and our open plan gardens to allow their children to trample across to access their cars …”
“The area directly outside the Close on Wheatfield Drive has also become a dangerous entrance or exit for us and we are concerned that should the timing of the parking coincide with any emergency vehicles trying to gain access or exit this could bring hazardous results.”
The school has asked parents/carers to avoid obstructing residents’ driveways or making it impossible for an emergency vehicle to access any of the properties.
Teachers will also be reminding the children of the need to “respect local residents and care for the environment by not walking across their gardens or dropping litter”.
The school has also issued a reminder of its informal one way system to ease congestion in Wheatfield Drive at the beginning and end of the school day: “Vehicles should enter via Wheatfield Drive and exit via Dewfalls Drive.”
Irresponsible street parking has also been a repeated issue at Meadowbrook Pimary School in Three Brooks Lane. In 2008, a ‘zero tolerance month’ saw a number of fixed penalty tickets issued to motorists parking on the pavement and blocking drives in Crystal Way. Later the same year, a ‘three strikes’ scheme asked residents to report occurrences of illegal or inconsiderate parking to the school and motorists committing a third offence were issued with a parking fine of £30 or £60 and three penalty points.
In an effort to combat the problems, local estate agent CJ Hole recently supplied several local schools with portable ‘Thank you for Parking Safely’ signs that can be placed in the roads by school staff at the beginning and end of the school day.
Related link: Neighbourhood Watch groups in Bradley Stoke
have to say one way system….hmmmm as quite a few of the teachers and staff at the school dont actually use the one way system themselves!
I totally sympathise with the residents of Wheatfield. I live in Crystal Way and the parking outside Meadowbrook is now again as bad as it ever was. Parents seem to have a lack of respect or care where they park as long as its as close to the school as possible.
I agree, Crystal way is impossible at the moment, as well as three brooks lane, where parents are parking. I went down there at 3.10pm the other day and there were people parked on both sides of the road, right up to the junction. It was really inconsiderate and dangerous.
The high school also has similar problems, with people stopping on the round about and turning around in drives in champs sur marne, with little consideration for other road users and pedestrians.
When they were installing the traffic calming measures at the end of wheatfield drive and hence getting into it was harder then normal I noticed a lot more people walking their kids to school.
I suspect if those that could walk did so instead of always jumping in the car the traffic would be halved and everyone would be a little healthier to boot.
Perhaps when these schools were built, thought should have been given to children that don’t live right next to the school, so that it is quick, easy and safe for parents to drop the kids off and pick them up.
Take for example BSCS. You’d have thought that they could have designed a nice quick dropping off point. But no, they complicated it by merging the drop off point with bits of car park and crossings, and a narrow gate, so now it is too hectic and dangerous to drop the kids off there, so parents now fart about on the roundabout outside.
At one time we parents were asked to use the extension sports centre carpark nearby, but that’s a joke in itself. Only one car can get it or out at a time. None of the parking lanes has a way of easily turning around should all the slots be occupied. Also, all the kids walking to/from school are crossing right in front of the cars going in and out. So that’s less safe than using the bus stop near the roundabout IMHO.
Yes, I know in theory, all the little sprogs could probably walk to/from school. However, in practice, inclement weather, failing alarm clocks and real life make this not a 100% thing.
Gyre, can I suggest 3 things:-
1) Buy an unmbrella
2) Get a better alarm clock and set it for earlier
3) Get organised
Life really isn’t that difficult.
1) Learn to spell.
2) Look up the meaning of the word patronising.
Have a nice day! 🙂
Well what a suprise we have complained to the school for years about parking with little or no intrest from them, and now all of a sudden someone is concerned Dont waste your breath its to late
They could tell us where the parents live to so if we are around near where they live and need to park we could use there driveways, I am sure they would not mind as they think we do not mind them useing ours
And as for parents walking they must have lots of time on there hands as they show up from 14.30 hours to park so could walk but wont
Oh no my road is busy with cars for 15 mins in morn and 15mins in afternoon. It’s not really that bad is it. The rest of the time and weekends and holidays u probably secretly miss watching all the parents go by 🙂
Most peolpe drive because they have to get to and from work whilst there children are at school. Or they have other children who need to get to nursery/ preschool.
Not laziness! Just earning a living!