We were sick of school run parents clogging our road… so now they’re BANNED

RESIDENTS are overjoyed after parents were BANNED from clogging their street during busy school run.

Locals living off Hotspur Primary in Heaton, Newcastle, were tearing their hair out at the daily traffic and dodgy double car parks – but their prayers have finally been answered.

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As part of Newcastle City Council’s school street plan, roads around the school will be closed at collection and drop-off times.

It’s hoped it will make the area safer for youngsters and encourage families to walk or cycle to classes – and it’s a big boost for those who live on Mowbray Street.

Annette Kearney said: “Great news. Fewer cars around the school is better,” while Kate Bredin described it as a “great idea.”

The new rules, which come into effect on June 13 for an 18-month test run, follow a passionate campaign by angry locals.

Mother-of-three Mariama Diallo had previously described the school’s parking situation as “too dangerous” and claimed it was endangering the children’s lives.

The 35-year-old, who is heavily pregnant and has difficulty getting up and down the stairs, said she was so concerned for the safety of her children that she wouldn’t let her daughters Kadiatou, eight, and seven-year-old Aissatou go to school unaccompanied even though I live across the street.

She tells The Sun: “In my condition I want to watch my girls go to the gate and check they are safe outside the door.

“But the situation with the cars makes it too dangerous. I’m too worried to let it happen.

“There are so many vehicles here when we are at school and I’m afraid they’ll hit the children.”

She said while she understands a ban would be “upsetting” for some parents, “kids’ safety must come first.”

Also calling for a ban was local resident Francis Hamilton, a retired program analyst, who said the problematic parking was “terrible”.

The 71-year-old, who takes his grandson to daycare there three times a week, says that sometimes he can’t find a place at all.

“I’ve seen people double and triple park on this street,” he said.

“Parents park wherever they want. You double park from bottom to top.

“Between 8.30am and 9.30am I can’t park and I can’t get out.

“Sometimes I get blocked. I’ll have to wait the five or ten minutes. That’s frustrating.”

It’s terrible. It’s a really bad situation here.

Linda Cherry

Francis said things would get worse if delivery drivers were also trying to drive down the street – and while a parental parking ban was a “good idea”, he didn’t think it would fully work.

“I’m concerned about the safety of children,” he added.

“[But] I think it could make the problem worse in a way because the problem would then be shifted to other roads.”

However, Linda Cherry, 54, who also lives on the street, is likely to be relieved by the action after previously claiming she sometimes searches for a parking space for 20 minutes at a time.

The social worker said: “It’s terrible. It’s a really bad situation here.

“School is the main problem. It’s not just the parents, it’s the teachers too.

“There are also people who park on the street and walk into town.

“As a resident, you can’t park at all.

“CHILDREN COULD HAVE ACCIDENTS”

“You can drive around for 20 minutes and look for a place.

“Even the back lanes behind the road are getting clogged with cars. And if people double park, they will block you.

“Parents open their doors to let their children out and they knock on your car. They worry about children having an accident.

“But it’s not just the children, it’s the animals too. I have a couple of cats and I’m concerned they might come out and get hurt.”

Elsewhere, Sharon Thomas said: “It would be nice to see more cyclists and more understanding drivers – or obviously fewer.”

And Jennifer Scott said: “Parents park cars in my back lane, which frequently blocks access to my car and our garage twice a day.

“It’s ridiculous and has made me late for work a couple of times.”

Three surrounding streets and several side streets are closed to parents on school days between 8:00 a.m. and 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. and 4:00 p.m.

Blue badge holders, emergency services, school staff and local residents will remain permitted access.

Ali Stansfield, School Roads Officer for the charity Sustrans, said: “Pupils at Hotspur Primary School are keen to actively travel but have told us they are concerned about dangerous driving and parking near their school.

“A school road in Hotspur will allow these students and their families to have safer, healthier and more fun trips to and from school.”

Hotspur Headmaster Kevin McVittie added: “The streets around Hotspur Primary School can get very congested at the start and end of the day so we very much welcome the introduction of the School Streets scheme as it means there is much safer for our children and much better for local residents.

“The program also builds on the healthy living messages we are instilling in children at school by continuing to encourage them to walk, bike or scooter to school.”

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