School-run ‘HELL’ as council tries to calm congestion by setting up ROAD BLOCKS near local primary and nursery
- Parents of children at primary school and nursery have blasted school-run ‘hell’
- Nottingham City Council set up road block planters to ease traffic congestion
- St Augustine’s Catholic school said they are ‘concerned’ for safety of children
- School Streets is a scheme set up by council to encourage sustainable travel
Parents of children at a primary school and nursery in Nottingham have blasted the school-run ‘hell’ after the council set up road blocks to ease congestion.
The traffic chaos around St Augustine’s Catholic school and nursery on Park Avenue forced Nottingham City Council to put planters in place to stop motorists becoming gridlocked.
However parents and residents have claimed the issues are to do with the narrow road layout and have called for parking permits amid fears a child could be ‘hit’.
Parents of children at St Augustine’s Catholic school and nursery in Nottingham have spoken about the build up of traffic in the area which ‘must be hell for residents’
Nottingham City Council putting planters in place in order to manage traffic congestion in the area through their School Streets scheme (pictured)
The planters were set up by the council as part of their School Streets scheme in a bid to make travel safer for residents and families, and also encourage sustainable travel.
One woman said: ‘The traffic is really bad because people are in a rush to get to school. It must be hell for residents. A child will get hit one day.’
She told Nottinghamshire Live: ‘I hope it rectifies itself but I’m not sure it will. The school is doing all it can but it’s really bad.’
St Augustine’s Catholic school have also said they are ‘concerned’ for children’s safety during the pick-up and drop-off hours.
A spokesperson for the school said: ‘St Augustine’s school is situated in a built-up residential area of the city where the surrounding streets are narrow. ‘Parking when pupils are dropped-off and picked-up is a concern for the school.
‘We are working with the Local Authority, residents and parents to ensure that the health and safety of our pupils remains our key priority at all times.’
However parents and residents have claimed the issues are to do with the narrow road layout and impatient motorists
Resident, Par Kumaraswami, 57, said: ‘I’m always concerned about the safety of the kids when they go to school and we’ve got a nursery nearby as well.’
The council earmarked 15 Nottingham schools for traffic measures in March and residents were told they would receive traffic packs in the post, which provide information about local walking and cycling opportunities.
Transport councillor Rosemary Healy, who is Portfolio Holder for Transport at the city council, said: ‘Last year the city council was awarded £2.5 million from the Government’s Active Travel Fund for measures designed to encourage walking and cycling.
‘Using a share of this funding we introduced car-free School Streets, closing the roads immediately outside school gates to create safer spaces for parents, carers and children to walk, cycle or scoot to school.
‘Children are particularly vulnerable to air pollution from exhaust fumes, so cleaner air outside schools is an added benefit.
‘Unfortunately we know that some people are ignoring the restrictions, and we can’t be outside the school every day to enforce them, but the problems in Park Avenue show the issues caused by the increase in traffic around school drop off and pick up times, causing congestion, idling vehicles and pavement parking.
‘The school has carried out a lot of initiatives to encourage children and parents to walk or cycle to school, and we’ll continue to support them.’
MailOnline approached Nottingham City Council for comment.