PARENTS have been urged to do their bit to reduce congestion outside a primary school by taking advantage of a car park.
The 40-space provision, off Park View, Royston, will be opened on a trial basis from Monday with a view to being available permanently for parents at drop-off and pick-up times at St John’s Primary.
Owned by Barnsley Council, it used to be opened at weekends only if a sporting event was taking place in the nearby park, but the decision has been taken by local councillors to hand the keys over to the school to try and alleviate long-running issues with traffic on Vicarage Lane.
Walk-to-school initiatives, regular newsletters, a petition and even PCSO patrols have so far failed to deter parents from clogging up the street.
Headteacher Jill Ryan said: “It’s regularly brought to our attention and although we’re constantly encouraging parents to park responsibly, problems have still been arising. Vicarage Lane is narrow, it’s a residential area, and there have been many near misses which has seen vehicles mounting kerbs.
“We worry there will be a serious accident and a child will be hit by a vehicle. Hopefully by opening the car park there will be less congestion on the street and in turn it will become much safer.”
The matter was recently discussed by members of the North East Area Council, who instructed Kingdom Security, the enforcement firm it employs, to target schools at several hotspots - including St John’s Primary - due to persistent complaints.
Anyone found obstructing the highway or parking on zig-zags or double yellow lines will be fined.
“We appreciate the morning and afternoon school run can be stressful for parents, especially on streets such as Vicarage Lane when it’s narrow and there’s only one way in and out,” said Mrs Ryan.
“What with safety concerns and complaints from residents, the decision was taken to open the car park to hopefully reduce problems. It’s now in parents’ hands.
“There’s enough space for around 40 vehicles so it’s definitely big enough, all it means by parking there is a three-minute walk to school. Its use will be monitored and, if it all goes well, there’s no reason why it won’t remain open.”
Temporary Sergeant Jason Pearson, who heads up the Royston-based policing team, said PCSOs continue to patrol Vicarage Lane and advice has been handed out whenever has been necessary.
“The car park’s opening is a positive step as parents’ parking has been such a big issue,” he added. “Advice has been given out but we will now encourage parents to use the facility as it will significantly reduce congestion on Vicarage Lane.”
