Parking to be reviewed outside primary school

As previously reported in your Worcester News, parents have complained that new parking restrictions outside St Clement’s CE Primary School in Henwick Road, St John’s, Worcester, are making their lives a misery.

The yellow lines have been introduced as part of a wider crackdown on congestion caused by students and staff from the University of Worcester parking in the streets around the campus.

But they are preventing parents from parking outside the school to drop off or pick up their children.

The parents invited Councillor Derek Prodger, the county council’s cabinet member for transport and safe environment, to the school so that he could see how the restrictions were causing parents to double park and even ignore the double yellow lines at peak times.

Mums Karen Whitworth and Debbie Herbert presented Coun Prodger with a 55-name petition from concerned parents.

Miss Herbert, aged 38, of Howard Road, Dines Green, Worcester, said: “The situation as it is now is not ideal and we hope something comes of this.”

Coun Prodger said he would be visiting nearby Oldbury Park Primary School in Oldbury Road, St John’s, which had white parking bays restricting parking to just 45 minutes with a view to introducing a similar scheme in Henwick Road. “The school has put a very good case forward, and I will look to see what can be done,” he said.

The school also asked Coun Prodger about getting a lollipop man or woman in Henwick Road. Headteacher Kate Brunt said the school now has a crossing patrol outside its Comer Road entrance, but it has been told that the main Henwick Road entrance was not busy enough to warrant one.

Coun Prodger agreed to also look into the issue.

Mrs Brunt said the school is the only CE school in St John’s and has a wide catchment area and therefore not all parents could walk to school.

“Parents come really early to find a parking space, which is very difficult for them,” she said.