Plans have been drawn up to introduce parking restriction outside three Lichfield primary schools.
Cherry Orchard, which is home to St Joseph’s, St Michael’s and Five Spires schools, and surrounding roads could all have no waiting and timed restrictions introduced.
Staffordshire County Councillor Terry Finn has proposed the changes on Station Road, Oakhurst, Hazel Grove, Wiltell Road and Cherry Orchard.
It would mean no waiting restrictions on Monday to Friday between 8am and 9.30am, and 2.30pm to 4.30pm.
Other sections of the roads would see:
- A one-hour waiting restriction between 9am and 4pm on Cherry Orchard and Hazel Grove, with no return within one hour.
- A two-hour waiting restriction between 9am and 4pm with no return within two hours on Wiltell Road.
- No waiting at any time on Hazel Grove, Wiltell Road and a small section around the junction between Sturgeons Hill and Southern Cross.
In a letter to local residents, Staffordshire County Council said: “The proposal will prevent inconsiderate parking from the nearby primary school on both sides of the road.”
But some parents have criticised the move, given the council recently approved the construction of the Five Spires Academy on Cherry Orchard.
One parent whose children attend St Michael’s Primary School, who did not wish to be named, said: “We all warned the county council that parking would be a major issue but they ignored us and allowed the new school to be built.
“Given these schools are in city centre locations and are not within walking distance for a lot of parents, how do they propose the hundreds of children who are trying to get their kids to school on time do so?”
Absolutely rediculous! The lack of nearby parking is endangering the parents and children that attend these schools. What is the councils solution for the parents, now they have solved the whinging residents issue? Instead of wasting money on these pointless surveys, maybe put that money into the schools instead of cutting their budgets!!
I would like to ask MrFinn what about Mesnes Green. As a resident who constantly has inconsiderate parking outside her house and has already had a meeting with Mr Finn a fair few years ago before it got this bad, I would also like some acknowledgment of any further proposed plans to ensure that traffic is not filtered into my road and causing further issues to an already problematic zone. I am dismayed to see the lack of thought put into this.
The parking outside schools is crazy, I totally agree.
But we have built a society where a lot of families have two working parents, so they have to take the children to school and then get to work. Restricting the choice of walking to school.
This will lead to:
1. Moving the problem, to other local roads
2. A number of parents will have to either drop children off very early, or give up their jobs.
Maybe the council should also look at themselves, lots of residents did tell them this would happen.
Dear Mr McKinnon
I totally agree however if you lived somewhere where you can’t park outside your own house in all weathers and have to trudge home from another road or five mins away constantly it gets on your nerves not to mention the numerous occassions of inconsiderate parking of drivers blocking me into my own drive. I have a small child and if I needed to get her to her registered GP if she was ill it would have been very problematic. Even with white lines outside my drive some car owners still over hang making it very difficult.
It’s easy to comment on issues that do not directly effect you, you say I’m whinging as a resident well yes I am. I am also a mom of one of the children that attends one of the schools and would very much prefer the council to put the money into the schools to further my daughters education but their lack of foresight in putting a third school on the same road and not listening to the residents and moms/dads of present school children when we petitioned has not helped this matter just further hindered it !
We can’t win as parents. Council builds schools where people can’t walk to them. They then introduce parking restrictions. Schools warn parents about lateness as children struggle to get into school. So what does council do? Introduces more parking restrictions.
What do they expect us to do? Trust me, I’d gladly not drive but living several miles away means I have no option with young kids.
You bought a house near a school did you really expect a gentle village life Claudette? Remember, you own the house, not the road outside it.
Things can only get better on this with the Five Spires Academy having more classes added over the next four or five years. Perhaps that school should open up its sizeable parking up for its parents and take some of the demand off the roads.
I agree with ‘frustrated’, with both parents working the only option is to drive to school so you can then get onto work, when all schools on cherry orchard there will be around 1000 children to get to and be picked from school.
Perhaps a more collaborative approach from the councillor would be better….incentives with the schools to provide alternatives to people driving there…..
A few options:
Walking buses….from within the two main housing estates that the schools feed from (Boley park & Darwin park)….with a rolling rota of volunteers made up of parents from each school
School buses similar to the states with a rolling rota of volunteers of parents from each school
Restrict parking so train station commuters can’t leave their car all day
Helpful approach from residents on cherry orchard…..traffic light posts on each driveway…..green means ‘I’ve already gone to work…you can park on my drive…..red ‘don’t park on here’
The reality is what it is about having that many primary schools on one road….putting a blanket ban on no cars is not going to work.
Three schools on one road ….genius
That logic of the walking bus may work if the assumption of catchments were correct…but it’s not. A number of parents travel in from Fradley, Streethay and other parts of Lichfield. You can’t get a road bus let alone a walking one from most of these areas. The solution should have been to build more capacity into these areas rather than to centralise a large chunk of primary school provision in an inaccessible area of the city centre. The county council have punched a hole in the side of the ship and are now complaining that it’a letting water in.
St Joes catchment is far wider than you suggest but we told the council this when they approved the new school on cherry orchard. A better bet would be to make the spaces only available at pick up time as the majority are used by people going into town to do their shopping
The council planning department is not fit for purpose.
They approve every silly scheme, then wonder why things go wrong.
When it has gone wrong, they are not held accountable, they blame the local residents. The same residents, who said, don’t do this, it will cause numerous problems.
The residents know far more than the planning section. But residents are never listened to now in Lichfield, only developers.
There are already parking restrictions around schools, they are completely ignored so why would wider restrictions make any difference unless enforced by officials or cameras? However this specific situation isn’t really about inconsiderate parking and driving outside schools, that is a general problem at all schools, but the sheer stupidity of building too many schools on a road that was unable to properly cope with the ones it already had.
I understand that a bus/walking bus wouldn’t solve every children’s travel plans, but it could certainly help alleviate the bulk of traffic….solutions not problems…..something is going to change and I think as parents of children in the schools it would be great if we could try and offer up ways around it…..if a consultative approach is taken from the council with the schools on cherry orchard, as it was their decision to have 3 schools on one road….that would be much better than just saying No Parking whatsoever….
Does anyone even know if the schools have been approached about this proposal?
Has the council completed an assessment of the catchment areas of the schools…to see where children are coming from and how they are currently getting to school…..
Incentives could be given to parents to work together to car pool…..I’m spit balling here but there has got to be alternatives considered…..
Have the schools been consulted you ask? The council didn’t listen when approving Five Spires so you may be hoping for a chilly weekend in hell if you think they’ll bother with the people who may actually have a real knowledge of the situation.
Sorting out the fact Cherry Orchard is a low bridge cut through for HGVs might be a bigger issue for Cllr Finn to get a grip of. Mind you, that would mean him doing something worthwhile.
Cakes destiny
I’ve lived in the house since 2004 when there was two schools not three and realise it’s not going to be quintessentially a village feel, however we as residents were not listened to by the counsellors which is why they are now scrabbling for damage limitation schemes rather than going to the route of the issue. I do not own the road your right but a little respect for others environment and living is all I ask. Would you like me to park outside your house over your drive whilst I get the train to work ?
The HGV cut through is also a concern with Lorraine’s delivering at schools and crossing the path of the children and parents is an accident waiting to happen. The council were short sighted did not listen and solutions need to be found. The walking bus is one but I am not sure too many parents will want to put their 4 year old on a bus from Whittington in some cases, fradley or street hay. Children are precious and I wouldn’t want to do that hence living near the TWO schools initially.
Make sure you send your comments in to the consultation.
Typical county council, shutting stable door after horse has bolted.
This will push the problem on to surrounding streets.
If there is a traffic offence taking place now there are tools to deal with it – parking officers and police.
Better to invest in measures to encourage more people to walk or cycle. Like a proper crossing on St. John street.