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Tracey Harris claims the way parents park outside College Town Junior School, in Sandhurst, is ‘an accident waiting to happen’.
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Homeowner's fury at double yellow line school parking

By Jennie Slevin
March 11, 2013

An angry homeowner has hit out at parents who show a ‘blatant disregard’ for the law by parking on double yellow lines outside a school.

Tracey Harris claims the way parents park outside College Town Junior School, in Sandhurst, is ‘an accident waiting to happen’.

Double yellow lines were painted outside the school, in Branksome Road, during the February half term, but she claims parents are still parking illegally.

Tracey, who lives close to the school, said: “The cars park in really dangerous places and block the pavements.

“A normal pedestrian can barely fit on the pavement, let alone someone with a pushchair or buggy.

“When children are that age they run ahead and they don’t always think to look before crossing the road, a driver wouldn’t see them if they ran out from behind a parked car.

“It’s an accident waiting to happen.”

The 49-year-old, who works for a dog rescue centre, added: “It’s a blatant disregard of the law. They can see the double yellow lines are there but they continue to park.

“I’d expect parents to understand they’ve been put there for a reason.”

Several Sandhurst Town councillors have reported the issue to Bracknell Forest Council.

Cllr Carole Cupper, College Town Junior School governor and chair of the town council’s environment committee, lobbied for the no-parking rule to be enforced.

She said: “It’s going to be really horrible if someone gets hurt. Sometimes parents even park on the crossing and the lollipop lady struggles to help the children cross safely.”

Cllr Paul Widdowson added: “They’ve got no respect for children’s safety.

“The double yellows were put down at the school’s request and the parents are just ignoring them. They’re not prepared to park in a safer place and walk a few yards so they park in an area that’s very dangerous.”

The councillors say they have asked the borough council to send a traffic warden to the area. A Bracknell Forest Council spokeswoman said: “We have no record of Sandhurst asking for a traffic warden to be sent there but since November 2010 our staff have visited the area more than 160 times.”

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Out of 160 visits I wonder how many times they actually gave out tickets? I suspect never!

As a parent who walks to the school daily I have seen traffic wardens a couple of times over the years and those times they were in one spot and ignored the dangerous parking..next to useless.

sartay
12/03/2013 at 17:35

Come on BFC, a show of strength is needed for a few days. Then getreading can report how many tickets issued and hopefully these idiots will stop (maybe).

Friday's child, Reading
11/03/2013 at 15:52

Well said Tracey... There has been a big problem for many years now with the irresponsible behaviour of parent motorists dropping off and picking up their children. I have lived in this area for much of my life and did indeed attend the same school as a child. Back then it was very rare that a child would even be escorted to school, let along driven to school. Those that were, got ridiculed as being wimps. Most kids were easily within walking distance - how far away do they come from now? The roads around the school are chaos for residents and other drivers during the school run times and I witness that there are many that do not give a hoot about etiquette to other road users, also park on the zig-zags, yellow lines, pull out without looking, block people in their drives or park on the grass verges which are now ruined. It does not take much to find somewhere suitable to park and to give your little cherub a few minutes exercise - might do you all some good.... Rant over.