Solutions needed to stop dangerous school parking

The situation re school parking on Ryleys Lane has been with us for a long time. It was suggested that the opening of the Bypass would improve matters but this is clearly not the case. Many drivers are keeping to the habits of the past 50 years and accessing the bypass from the Chelford roundabout via Chelford Road/Ryleys Lane. To make matters even worse, the morning Northbound traffic on London Road is now understandably lighter so that the exit from Ryleys Lane into London Road is easier than in the past.

None of this helps the dangerous situation re the schoolchildren on Ryleys Lane. If Ryleys Lane is classified as Alderley Edge then it certainly has not been bypassed.

The solution was (and is) totally simple. There should be a northbound access only spur onto the bypass at the cemetary. Only by this simple and inexpensive remedy will the long awaited bypass truly be a bypass and the accident waiting to happen with the schoolchildren on Ryleys Lane will have been avoided.

Take a look at Brook Lane at around 3:30 to 4:00 on a AESG school weekday - the pavements on both sides of the road are littered with illegally parked 4x4s. Parents collecting their children simply have no regard for other road users - they frequently even block off the entrances to properties. The answer here seems to have a simple solution - paint a single yellow line on the north side of Brook Lane.

Sounds like a simple solution Duncan but would this not just push those drivers who have started to use the full length of the bypass (northbound) back onto Chelford Road - and then just use the last few hundred yards of the bypass (via the spur you suggest)?

You observe that many drivers are still using Chelford Road rather than the bypass (and I agree). Generally, I would observe that bypass usage so far is disappointing. However (i) it will require time for habits to change and (ii) several changes in aggregate (not just a single one) might be required for us to see greater benefits from the bypass.

Following Duncan and Stuarts comments I think a spur off the bypass is needed. However I think the spur should come off the bypass into a parking area at the back of the Ryleys to be used as a drop off point for all the children to the three schools (accessed only to and from the bypass). A safe walk way could be created from the drop off point to all 3 schools. Children then walk back to drop off point to be picked up at end of school. The official school buses could use this too. This would certainly cut the number of cars and be safer for the children.

I fully understand the logic of Stuart Carthy's comments. The challenge is always whether to adapt to drivers' habits or whether to take action to actively change them.

If we decide not to adapt by creating the northbound access only spur, then why not fix the traffic lights synchronisation at the railway underpass at the Chelford end so that a large queue builds up northbound at the rush hour? Do this for a couple of months and everyone would soon get the message that it's easier to turn right and use the full length of the bypass.

I am convinced that those in charge of planning these matters are working on completely duff data - many of us will remember the published result of their original survey which concluded that the traffic on Ryleys Lane in the mornings was unaffected by school holidays (???).

A few ideas...

A). We need accessible carparks for the parents. It seems the Alderley Edge Park's carpark is always used by communters every morning. Would it be possible to expand the park's carpark and create a ticketing system where the first 30 minutes are free parking and the charge for any time over 30 minutes.

B). Both the railway bridge on Chorley Hall Lane and London Road is very narrow and this may be another reason for parents wanted to use their cars rather than walking. Is there anyway we could expand the 2 bridges to create a wider pavement.

C). A local mini bus going round the village and schools from 8 to 9 in the morning and 3 to 4:30 in the afternoon.

D). Create a drop and go rule. This requires the front of the school only allow the child to be drop and the teachers at the school gates ensure they enters into the school. No one should stop in front of the school for longer than 2 minutes, this will hopefully reduce the chatting infront of the school gate culture.

The solution to this problem is quite simple to solve because the cost of a parking ticket doesn't seem to worry or bother most of the offenders then perhaps one day we should have Egertons on site to tow the offending vehicles away to the compound, maybe when they then have the inconvienence of having to collect their car and pay a large release fee they will thing twice about doing it again,

I have a Grandmar who lives on Lynton Lane and I can see this sort of thoughthless parking every day BUT I am also a Mother who has to take children to school (not any of the schools in Alderley) and I can appreciate how difficult it is to park for parents who have children at these schools. I am sure in an ideal world they would park in a different way if they could but what else is on offer. If you can park down a side road then you are going to. My Gran is currently recovering from a broken hip and its so difficult when you can't park the car anywhere near her flat to get her in/out of the car safely because of other people taking all the spaces but it is afterall a road without any parking restrictions so not much we can really do.

I don't for one minute think people park like they do for the fun of it so towing away their car seems a bit harsh. I mean you have to get your child to school every day so its not really fair to blame parents. Its like blaming people trying to park to get to their place of work. Not much you can really do about it to suit everyone.

Draconian measures are a quite obsurd and irrational suggestion. The parking is a problem, yes, however a SOLUTION must be found. Some valuable suggestions have been made. This is a school with a catchment area beyond walking distance and the type of vehicle seen is irrelevant. I believe The Ryleys should be brought to task about the parking and the officer's approach seems appropriate. You cannot blame a parent for wanting to drop their child near the gate especially when no other parking facilities are within easy reach.

Obviously I refer to all schools when I say 'The Ryleys' however I only see the issue there as I rarely drive past the other schools at start/finish times.

There is also the death trap that is the junction between Brook Lane and the old A34 at school drop off/pick up time which needs to be addressed - the parking there (actually on the corner of the junction, on the yellow zigzag lines etc) has to be seen to be believed...

I think Rickys idea of the local mini bus would be a good fix, and also good for the enviroment. I got a bus for all my secondary school years and it didn't do me any harm! Or why not the walking bus like was organised when the road was shut while the bypass was being built? Why all these chelsea tractors are needed to run the children 2 minutes up the road, it is obsurd. Unfortunatly, it will probably take something horrible to happen like a poor child to be run over before anything will be seriously looked at.

I just want to add a point, the issue is actually the same for all 3 schools in Alderley. Also the issues are caused by all sort of cars no matter if it's a 4 x 4 or Smart 2 X 2.

Please focus on the issue and aim at the solution.

In response to some of the comments regarding the parking around the schools in Alderley Edge, I would like to point out that this problem occurs at almost every school in the country, regardless of whether parents are driving 'Chelsea tractors' or not.

As Adrian points out 'You cannot blame a parent for wanting to drop their child near the gate especially when no other parking facilities are within easy reach', but equally Schools cannot be held responsible for the way individuals choose to park. At The Ryleys, we have previously requested planning permission for a car park at the back of the school but this was denied.

We also take the matter of the safety of our pupils very seriously and have requested that speed bumps be installed on Ryleys Lane in the vicinity of the School, which was also denied.

We would be delighted to see a solution to the frustrating and challenging parking situation and look forward to hearing the outcome of the meeting with the Councillor.

Caroline Slater, PR & Communications Manager, The Ryleys School.

Caroline, I see your point about long term solutions being denied, so why doesn't the school take some short term easy fixes like my suggestions above? It would be good PR for the school after all? And the walking bus would cost next to nothing to organise/run would it not? In the mean time the long term solutions could be argued out with the powers that be. Sitting on our hands saying "we are not to blame" which to be fair, all sides are doing, is not the answer.

At AESG, we are very conscious of the parking situation in the village and have created an on-site ‘drop-off zone’ to try and alleviate some of the difficulties. We are also working together with some of our parents who are participating in a car share to reduce the number of cars coming in to the village at the start and the end of the school day. In addition we offer several bus routes to and from school which many of our parents use and we have made arrangements for parents who are collecting daughters finishing at different times so as to minimise their waiting time. We will continue to do all we can to resolve the problem as the safety of our girls and those in the community is paramount.

All three schools in the village have met together to try and come up with workable solutions and, in addition to discussions taking place with PCSO Jim Newns, Alderley Edge School for Girls is communicating directly with some local businesses to see if we can work together to find a viable, long-term solution.

Sue Goff, Headmistress, Alderley Edge School for Girls.

Not having school starting and finishing times within the same half hour might help, double yellow lines at the top of Brook Lane is another option. The road lay out at the bottom of Chorley Hall lane (on Chelford Road) is a bodged up job, the older part of the road next to the field could be improved to create a real lay-by (one way) and while in that area improvements could be made for a safer footpath on the corner, then some children living on the Chelford Road could walk or ride to school safer.

I don't think there will ever be a solution to suit all. People come from far and wide to get their children to the Ryleys & AESG. I know a number of parents who come from the Goostrey/Chelford area so they of course have to drive and that means parking their car 'somewhere' and if that means parking it down a side road where there are no restrictions then of course they will do it. I would myself.

I don't see how a mini bus could work when so many children are coming from so many different areas, you would be looking at a fair number of mini buses running twice a day and so many parents would not want the trouble of getting their child onto it when it would be far easier to just take them in the car from 'door to door'. Where would the mini bus pick up from? would it pick up from one central point (causing car congestion in another place) or would it travel around and have certain 'stops' that children could get on and off from (but again some parents would drive their child to the stop) It would not be possible for a school the size of AESG to bring most of the pupils in on a school bus.

You will always find thoughtless parents who don't care about consideration for others and will ignore everything on offer if it means finding a space to park their car, some parents will never consider any other way of getting their child to school than the car. I heard a Mother once (who had parked on Lynton Lane) say if she had to park any further away from the school she would have to get a taxi from her car to the school !!!! that just about sums up some people.

And lets not forget the 6th Formers from AESG who drive their own cars to school, a fair number of those park down Brook Lane and on Lynton Lane.

Don't wish to sound so negative but I don't think there is really a workable solution.

Various comments allude to the bypass, and traffic on Ryleys Lane. I have always believed that there should have been a slip road northbound from the Chelford Road on to the bypass. However the problem with school parking is one that we have inherited from the old Macclesfield Borough Council who allowed St Hilary's School and Mount Carmel to merge on the Mount Carmel School, thus bringing all Alderley Schools in close proximity to one another without giving any consideration to the resultant traffic, nor insisting on the new Alderley Edge School for Girls building a drop off area for its pupils.

Eaton Drive does have a parking problem with vehicles parked on both sides of the road (and pavements), making it nigh on impossible for an amegency vehicle, e.g. fire engine, to gain access to the roads in this particular estate, and also making the sight of drivers going round tthe corner to be seriously impeded. I would suggest that a single yellow line be placed on the southern side of Eaton Drive from its junction with Ryleys Lane to the entrance to number 1. This could then place a no-parking restriction between 8 and 9 am and similarily between 3 and 4 pm.

Please note. The solution required here is to resolved the problem not to push the issue to another street.

So solutions must be a combination of extra safe parking spaces, no waiting drop off points at school gate, walking bus and village school bus.

Walking Bus and Village School Bus will be great for those living in Stockport/Manchester and all the other areas that AESG services. Where will all these 'extra safe parking spaces' be found. No waiting drop off points are ok to a point but when its a school as big as AESG you are talking a non starter with that.

Parents can always park at the Festival Hall...only a few hundred yards away (cheaper exercise that the gym fees?) and it is free.
Duncan Herald

Walking a few metres is much better for your health than sitting in a 4x 4

I think that the use of the old road for a Ryleys drop-off point is a good idea, the space could even be used for parking spaces. I find the sidetrack of bringing up personal dislikes of 4x4s less than constructive, there is a safety issue here.

The mention of 4x4s seems to be hitting a few nerves here!

I originally referred to illegally parked 4x4s parked on the Brook Lane pavement - the vehicles are certainly not all 4x4s but it is a fact that such do take up more room.
Do the drivers collecting pupils from AESG really have to park on the pavement? I think not - common sense and consideration is called for.

Safety is an issue here and I am surprised that the police or parking wardens have not bothered to display a presence.

There is another view of this to be considered, that of what would happen if everyone was suddenly stopped from their current practice of unregulated parking. YES, it would force the issue, however, without a solution it would just move the problem or cause children to be delivered/picked up late from school. It would be an interesting experiment in one respect but might make things even more disruptive or even dangerous in the short-term.

This is a very difficult and far reaching problem that needs a dedicated team of council, police, schools and parents/public to look into it. The fact the Parish Council holds out little hope of any progress from the parking review is VERY VERY concerning.

This is a very difficult and far reaching problem that needs people dropping their children off (particularly at AESG) to behave in a sensible, adult manner and park with thought for more than just their own laziness and desire to do everything more quickly!!! Maybe then we could avoid the tragedy that is bound to happen sooner or later...

It's all well and good telling people what they are doing wrong but where are the ACTUAL solutions? To all critics, why not list real, practical, fast resolutions? That is why a proper piece of work is required. Are we saying to parents they must queue in their cars in an orderly fashion? Stagger arrival times? Not actually stop the car when releasing the child?!? Come on, this needs organising in a constructive manner.

All it needs is double yellow lines all the way down Brook Lane as far as the By-Pass
No one needs to be late for school if you set out 10 min sooner - park and walk

Since the double yellow lines and zigzag lines already in place are totally ignored at the top of Brook Lane already, one would assume extending them would only mean more to ignore! Jim and/or other colleagues need to have some sort of presence there. Also asking the school(s) to write to parents asking them to park legally could not hurt...

Just a few comments...

(1) about PCSO Jim and his possible presence... the parish council (you) pay half his salary and the central govm. pay the other half... this other half is mediated through the Wilmslow police... the police have the 'right' to take him away from the village if he's needed elsewhere, in an emergency... the parish council have fought long and hard to make sure that 'emergency' doesn't include such as covering for an ill policeman/woman on the front desk at Wilmslow Police Station... and Jim tries his very best not to be taken out of the village... however, his duties are such that he simply can't be on car-parking duty much of the time... hence the occasional blitz rather than consistent presence.

(2) the schools are frequently asked to ask parents not to obstruct roads... and I'm sure the Headteachers do write to the parents... what effect that has, you may judge for yourselves.

(3) getting yellow lines painted by Cheshire East is something the parish council has tried to have effected... the regulations to do so can be mind-numbingly complicated... and the Highways people (is it Highways?) are seldom in favour.

(4) the parking review is being carried out by Cheshire East...the Parish Council have tried to influence but have no actual power/authority... we shall go on trying to improve parking but its just not easy... if it were easy, we'd get it done.

(5) Cheshire East are in the process of devolving powers/land etc. down to Parish & Town Councils... all in a great/confusing rush... whether the Parish Council will end up with power where it is needed to act over parking problems, remains to be seen.

Dear parent, if you illegally park whilst waiting for your child, your child will be expelled
kind regards ......
seems an easy enough letter to put together and the school monitor the problem as it is the school that gets the bad press and if its a decent school there shouldnt be too much trouble filling in any gaps in classes due to thoughtless parents.

I don't think there is a workable solution because AESG is just too large a school with pupils coming from too large an area. It's no use slating parents, ok there are some very selfish parents but you find them everywhere and not just parents.

There are selfish people who park in disabled bays when they can walk as well as I can so it's not a problem just reserved for parents parking to get their children to school. Selfish parking has been going on for years and will continue to do so for years.

Lets not forget a school is a place a child attends for their education, its not a parking monitor unit. The school can only do so much, I am sure they would love all parents to park in a sensible manner but they can't be expected to expel a child because their parent has parked down a side street. There are too many cars for not enough spaces.

Just imagine putting yellow lines down Lynton Lane, people would just end up parking in a more dangerous way.

I would love to read about a really sensible, working solution but I won't hold my breath.

I am saddened and concerned to read so many negative comments about attempts to find a workable solution to the parking issue. At AESG we are continuing to look for long term and workable solutions to this problem of parking. Practically every school experiences a parking problem of one sort or another, purely and simply because of the number of pupils arriving and leaving at a certain time. We have staggered arrival and departure times - both for the Juniors and Seniors - so that girls can now arrive from 8am and leave after school up until 5.45 pm and we will look after them at both ends of the day. In addition we now have more girls using our school buses and minibuses to reduce the impact. We are encouraging parents to make use of this extended day option, and many are doing so - but we cannot force them to, nor would we want to, as it is all about individual choice.

We regularly talk with parents directly and invite them in to discuss parking issues - however we have no jurisdiction over the roads outside our school and we can only ask parents to work with us on this. We also encourage the girls to be aware of this problem and encourage their parents to park sensibly and thoughtfully - but we cannot force them to do this, clearly.

We are still looking into possible solutions with park and ride and drop off points which are safe. We are also working with local businesses to find areas that might be suitable at the beginning and end of each day and will continue to have this high on our agenda at all levels including Governors.

Sue Goff, Headmistress at AESG.

I agree that AESG seems to be too big for the site, when St Hilarys and Mount Carmel were 2 separate entities there was congestion in 2 areas at school run time now its all in one area around busy road junctions.

I have noticed an easing in traffic congestion around school finishing time with the by pass taking the through traffic out of the equation but the by pass has not altered the congestion by thoughtless parking. So what are the solutions? We can sit at a computer and moan but it doesnt go anywhere to solving this problem. The school is the cause of the problem but how the heck they can sort it out when the parents don't show any signs of changing or co operating is anyones guess.

This discussion has strayed massively from the original issue which was congestion on Ryleys Lane and the consequent danger to children and/or their parents dropping them off. We should focus on the various actions which could be taken to ensure that the bypass really achieves its original intention which was to bypass Alderley Edge.Without action to substantially reduce commuter traffic heading North via Ryleys Lane in the morning, most of the proposed solutions will prove to be both temporary , expensive and ineffective.

As local residents are saddened and concerned about the totally irresponsible, dangerous and downright selfish parking habits exhibited by what I am sure is a very small minority of parents!

I have lived at the bottom of Brook Lane for 22 years and in all that time the situation outside what was Mount Carmel and now is AESG has gone from the bad, to the sublime to the ridiculous...

If you want to read positive comments about this situation, I suggest that you instigate procedures which will actually improve it for the entire community rather than telling us you have no jurisdiction!

I wonder whether or not Headmistress Sue Goff has actually bothered to view the problems caused by parking on Brook Lane outside her school.

I clearly remember the statements made by the former Headmistress at the time of the Planning Application for the new school buildings. It was suggested at that time that provisions were to be put in place so as not to cause traffic problems. Just where are those provisions?

As Duncan has rightly pointing out this thread of discussion has strayed from the original topic and at times it is covering old ground.

This is obviously an issue which affects a lot of people, who have strong feelings about the situation but some of the comment aren't actually helping anyone.

Therefore, I propose that I speak to all the key people involved in this and write a follow up article explaining what measures are in place and what solutions are being looked at to resolve this issue so hopefully the discussion can move forward to look at solutions.

I am going to close this article to comments now and will provide an update shortly.