PARENTS dropping off and picking up their primary school children at St Mary’s Academy in Beaminster are endangering pupils says headteacher Teri Goodinson.
Despite repeated appeals to parents the situation isn’t improving she said and now she’s enlisted the help of PCSO Cati Jervis and the town council.
Mrs Goodinson said: “I spoke to Cati about the parking problems. She comes and stands at the gate with me every so often to chat to parents.
“There is a turning space that has yellow zig zags and parents continually park in there despite me putting reminders in newsletters saying that the zig zags are there for a reason.
“Cati said it is not enforceable because there are no council notices.
“There have been a couple of minor bumps in the past and near misses where people have been reversing out because it is quite a tight area.
“They also park in the Magna car park for the residential housing for the elderly in St Mary’s Gardens “I know it is difficult for parents because there isn’t a lot of space to park but it does cause a lot of congestion. Even this morning people were beeping horns at each other, reversing and not looking.
CONGESTION: Some parents are causing problems
“It only takes a child to try to cross the road and a parent be distracted and before we know it a child will be knocked over.
“It only takes a blink of an eye. They need to be more mindful of where they are parking.”
She said she’d like more parents to walk their children to school.
“I haven’t got the answer, I can’t provide any more parking space. I’d like more parents to walk their children to school and it might be beneficial in lots of other ways.”
PCSO Jervis asked Beaminster Town Councillors at their meeting on Monday (22) to support the school and put a sign with restricted parking times.
She said: “On a number of occasions I have seen cars double parked blocking each other in and children weaving between the traffic to cross the road.
“The situation is similar at most primary schools. Parents like to park as close as possible but A small number of parents are parking in places that are just too dangerous.”
She said the yellow zig zags were advisory only and police are unable to enforce the zig zags but with a sign parking enforcement officers could issue tickets.
The signs need a bylaw, she said. The council agreed to look into implementing one to help alleviate the situation.
Council chairman Cllr Christopher Turner said: “Parents are their own worst enemy.”
Cllr Terry Beswarick suggested sticking labels on to offenders’ cars stuck with Golden Syrup.
He said: “They won’t do it again.”
PCSO Jervis said she did have ‘Police Aware’ stickers that were used on vehicles.
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