PCSO tackles dangerous school parking

by Lisa Reeves

Friday 4^th April 2014

Fri 4^th Apr 2014

In response to constant complaints regarding parking outside all the schools in Alderley Edge, PCSO Jim Newns has been taking enforcement action.

He has been patrolling the areas in recent weeks, issuing tickets to drivers who have caused an unnecessary obstruction and put others at risk.

Inspector Sue Mills said "Jim has also liaised with the schools themselves in a bid to problem solve this issue as they have responsibility for this problem as well. We are aware that some long term strategies are being looked at but in the meantime newsletters are being sent out to parents to urge them to park more appropriately."

She added "We also urge parents to walk their children to school where possible if they live close by, to help alleviate the problem."

The above photo was taken on Ryleys Lane at school pick-up time on Wednesday, 3rd April, by Dominic Booth. He commented "I don't know why people can't walk a few yards extra to save others having to walk onto a busy road to get past their car.”

Tags:: Parking , Parking, Ryleys Lane

Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

Sarah Lane

Friday 4^th April 2014 at 10:27 am

Amazing. Perhaps this picture needs to be used on the front of the school newsletter with a dunce's hat on the roof. You have to be a certain type of person to park like this.

Ricky Lee

Friday 4^th April 2014 at 10:42 am

Firstly, Ryleys Lane and the Park's car park is always full of cars from people working in the village. This push the afternoon pickup to BREAKING POINT.

Solution for village workers parking is crucial is resolving this.

For people who don't have kids, you have no idea the amount of kit a child need to bring to school these day. A heavy school bag, games kit, musical instrument, music bag, weird and wonderful school projects, etc. Some time it is impossible for the child to walk with so much kit!

BTW, stop just pointing the finger at Ryleys or the Girl School, the issue is also contributed by the Primary School parents too, just look at the parking round the bend of Eaton Drive is a Death Trap!

Abby Griffiths

Friday 4^th April 2014 at 1:53 pm

I agree with Ricky on the issue of parking capacity at certain times of the day and that it isn't just parents of children who attend the Ryleys who park irresponsibly in these areas. Children do have a lot of 'luggage' to take to school, but that will never excuse cars parking on the pavement. I have passed the same point in the last 2 weeks and twice I have seen 3 large vehicles parked on the same stretch of pavement at the same time at pick up time. How are people with pushchairs and motorised vehicles who have a right to use the pavement supposed to pass safely? Until the overall issue of car parking in Alderley Edge is resolved, try leaving in good time to take and to collect your children if you can't walk (or choose not to), and park further away where it is safe for pedestrians and there is capacity I.e. on the adjoining estates (plenty of space).

Jeremy Bygrave

Friday 4^th April 2014 at 5:14 pm

There is bad parking, inconsiderate parking and then simply downright dangerous parking which puts children's lives at risk. The above example above clearly falls in to the latter category and in my opinion should someone be killed because of this stupidity, they should / could be charged with involuntary manslaughter (if such a charge exists in the UK).

I agree with Abby - there are no excuses, no matter how much 'kit' your children have, to put other people's children at risk.

The school needs to take more responsibility, simple!

James MacDonald

Friday 4^th April 2014 at 6:28 pm

Agree with a lot of this but Jeremy it is not the schools fault. It is the fault of every individual driver that parks illegally. I've said before that fines are not a suitable punishment. Community service would deter as time is an expensive commodity.

Friday 4^th April 2014 at 8:11 pm

AESG have tried but it falls on deaf ears. Sadly I think its Country wide behaviour around school drop off and pick up. To many cars and just not enough room for everyone. There will never be an excuse for this sort of behaviour. Maybe some stickers for the windscreen to remind these people they have to think of everyone and not just themselves. Peeling it off will give them a few minutes of thinking time.

Friday 4^th April 2014 at 8:26 pm

Hi James. I have not said it is the school's fault but I do think they have a care of duty to the local neighbourhood.

I am a Governor of another school (not one in the area concerned) who take the parking issues very seriously - for the safety of the children and the in respect of the neighbours. They have a full 'name and shame policy' and repeat offenders are reported to the police. Needless to say parking offences are very rare.

I had previously suggested this policy to Ryleys (albeit some time ago). I also asked them why then don't make more use of the warden they employ at drop-off time to help encourage better parking practises. To put it politely, there was not much interest.

Jon Williams

Friday 4^th April 2014 at 9:34 pm

The safety of the children must come first, but also look at the damage to the grass verges in front of the Ryleys School caused by parking.

Friday 4^th April 2014 at 10:31 pm

That's 'duty of care' not 'care of duty'.... I get so wound up by the parking on that pavement that I can't even get my words out.

Sarah, I was told it was illegal to put those extra sticky stickers on people's cars. Does anyone know whether that is actually true?

Saturday 5^th April 2014 at 3:26 pm

Residents put them on cars around the Hospital at Macclesfield. Not sure if they are legal though, perhaps they could be like a car park ticket and easy to remove. I noticed a very large yellow notice on the windscreen of a car parked across two spaces in a car park, it said something along the lines of "You have parked your car in a very inconsiderate way" Sounds about right for this car.

http://bit.ly/1ibJH9b

Lesley Broome

Sunday 6^th April 2014 at 10:26 pm

Why cant the schools use a school bus like the one nether alderley use? A dedicated pick up/drop off point, saving dangerous parking etc... obviously there has to be a place for the bus to pick up/drop off to parents but that cant be beyond all the brains involved in schools/councils.....

Graham Nicholson

Tuesday 8^th April 2014 at 11:09 am

Do little Johnny and tiny Clarissa really need to be chauffeured in stonking great SUVs? If mums and dads used cars half the size there would be more room for everyone! :)

Christine Cullis

Tuesday 8^th April 2014 at 3:59 pm

On a separate, perhaps slightly cynical note, Can I ask whose coffers these spurious car parking notice fines will end up in ? Or have PCSO decided up act purely on an altruistic note ?! Should the money go to alleviating the situation in some way or towards lobbying for a real workable solution then that is significant. If not and one finds it is yet another attack (financial and political) levelled at the parents of the private schools then the real issue is really a "red herring" for a private company making profit from the problem. These issues have been unresolved since my children attended the ryleys and Alderley edge girls school nursery. I took it up with the head at the time - staggered that the planning department had allowed the sake of the old plot for housing leaving the school with zero parking. Who benefitted from that scheme ? Why was this ever allowed to happen in the first place ?

Claire MacLeod

Thursday 10^th April 2014 at 12:31 pm

If parents took some personal responsibility for their actions, parked responsibly and didn't arrogantly ignore double yellow lines, Christine, then they wouldn't be 'attacked' or fined. This isn't a 'red herring'. It's a serious problem and only the parents can improve the situation.