Parents hit out as school car park closes due to covid
PARENTS fear a child will be hit by a vehicle – as a school’s car park remains closed due to coronavirus.
Sandon Primary Academy, in Meir, has spent £22,000 on its dedicated car park.
But it is currently closed to allow for a socially-distanced one-way system at the Harrowby Road school.
Principal Rachel Beckett said: “I’m as frustrated as the residents are. However, there are some factors that I feel, as a school, we’re doing all we can.
“I don’t know of any other school that has used its budget to build a car park for parents.
“Unfortunately, it has to be closed at the moment because of Covid rules.
“We have two members of staff that man the car park at the start and the end of the day.”
She added: “Apart from making the car park multi-storey, I really don’t know what I can do in terms of the physical space for people to park.
“I can’t dispose of my playing
fields to make that into a parking area.”
Parents want the car park back open.
Full-time mum Lucy Stevenson, aged 32, from Weston Heights, said: “The school has had to close the car park because of people arguing over the parking spaces, and it shouldn’t be like that because we’re all coming here to bring our kids.
“It’s not going to be long before a child gets knocked over.”
Fellow parent Beth Jones, aged 41, of Meir, said: “I just don’t think it’s safe. People are parking
either side of the school. Kids have nearly got run over because they can’t see when they’re crossing the road.”
Meir South councillor Faisal Hussain has spoken to the school after complaints from residents.
He said: “Many options have been discussed, such as a residents’ parking scheme, enforcement, and parking on the school car park when the car park is operational.
“The school has been very supportive and we will be working together to tackle this issue.”