Parental problem (From Gazette Series)

Parental problem

BERKELEY town councillors are this week appealing to parents to be more considerate when picking up their children from school.

Cllr Michael Denning claims that parents who park their cars irresponsibly outside Berkeley Primary School to drop off and pick up their children are not only a nuisance but also pose a safety threat.

He told the Gazette: "What parents forget is that School Lane is also an access road for residents at Masons Court and those using the school and library. "Parents parking all over the place is making it very difficult for everybody."

Cllr Denning said the existing road layout by the school, including a traffic island, is being ignored by parents making the problem far worse.

He said: "The traffic island that is in place causes problems because drivers have to negotiate round it particularly when parents park all over the place to pick their children up from the school.

"A one-way system would make crossing safer and easier for children from the school."

Council chairman Cllr Ralf Pinnell said: "Parents seem to park wherever they think they can.

"A one-way system would be best near the school and library. Two-way traffic just isn't working."

Berkeley town councillors have agreed to contact Gloucestershire County Council's highways department asking for the road layout to be improved.

However, councillors are concerned this may not resolve the situation quickly enough and said more should be done to encourage parents to park considerately.

Martin Bragg, headteacher at Berkeley Primary School, said parents are regularly told of car parking space near the school but ignore it.

He said: "There are two public car parks available. One is by the library and the other is opposite the school on Marybrook Street and the owners of the pub over the road have said we can make use of their car park at the beginning and end of the school day.

"It is a particularly annoying problem when parents ignore these car parks which are available to them. They forget there are also health and safety issues with parking and blocking the road.

"It shouldn't be an issue for Berkeley Primary School but unfortunately it is."