Residents welcome parking ban at school

Residents living next to a busy primary school today welcomed the news parents may be banned from parking outside.

Wolverhampton City Council wants to issue an order that will stop motorists parking outside Wednesfield’s Corpus Christi Primary at peak times. Neighbours described the current situation as a “nightmare” and also backed plans for waiting restrictions to be introduced in Griffiths Drive and Sandy Crescent. They said their drives had been blocked and grass verges torn up due to the sheer number of cars.

But busy parents on the school run said the proposals would further eat into the their time and were a waste of money.Lisa Wilde, aged 37, of nearby Bucknall Road, drops her eight-year-old daughter Milli off at the Ashmore Avenue school every morning by car.

Mrs Wilde, who works for Sandwell Council, said: “I may only live three or four streets away but I don’t have time in the morning to walk my daughter to school, walk back and then drive over to Sandwell.

“I don’t think the situation is as bad as people say, we’re not here for long - it really is a case of park up, drop them off and run. I think if these plans are introduced I will end up being late for work everyday. I think it is another waste of money.”

Posters setting out the plans have gone up on nearby lampposts and objectors have until April 3 to voice their concerns.

Machinist Lorraine Pritchard, aged 53, said there had been several occasions where school-run cars had blocked the drive to her daughter’s house in Ashmore Avenue.

Mrs Pritchard said: “It can be a nightmare. When I’ve been coming back with the shopping on a Friday, there have been a few times when I’ve had to ask people to move their cars so I can get in.”

Mrs Pritchard’s daughter 33-year-old Louise Tranter, a full-time mum, said she hoped the rules would come into force and ease the problems.

John Fieldhouse, aged 60, lives directly opposite the school.

The retired builder said: “First thing in the morning is the worst, we have them parking in front of the house. There have been a few times when we’ve been blocked in and the grass verge opposite is all pulled up.”

By Elizabeth Joyce