School Run Parking Nightmare

[MichaelFlatleyLordoftheDance]

I live in a small, rural village with a well regarded primary school in it. I live one street from the school, and every school day, morning and afternoon, the street absolutely fills with cars as parents drop off and collect their kids. I understand this comes with the territory of living near a school; however, there are no quick drops or collections - parents stand around chatting for sometimes hours at a time, leaving their cars congesting the street and their kids roaming around in gardens and driveways. The thing that really gets me is the cars are typically blocking driveways, double parked or abandoned well away from the kerb. When a parent is politely asked to move their car (by myself or other residents) they react in very rude ways. "Excuse me, could you please move your car, I need to leave for work and you're blocking my driveway" is met with "I'll leave when I'm ready" or "you should leave earlier then." This doesn't seem normal to me. Does anyone else experience anything similar?

There are problems outside my DD’s school. The head has got so fed up of complaints he sent out a message asking other parents to photograph illegal parking and send it to the Police. This message delighted most parents! This together with a few well timed patrols by the Police and City Wardens has improved things a bit.

At out school the vast majority walk or are considerate parkers, but there is a very small minority whose behaviour is very hard to change.

Take photos of the offending number plates and complain to the school. They should take action

I would get together with all my neighbours and have everyone park on the road so there is no parking available.

@Sunseaandsand1

All school streets do is push the problem elsewhere ... they did this as of last week at my local high school and now parents are pulling up in the carriageway (not parking) on the main road causing me to be late for work every day last week, journey time going from 15 minutes to 40 minutes! As secondary aged in a fairly small town, unless sen they can all walk!

There’s 2 different issues. Those parked illegally and residents and motorists who object to anyone parking in their street or using the piece of road that they want to. Often they’ll send a pcso for the first if you’re persistent. The second you’ll just need to put up with and campaign for the school to provide better drop off facilities. A parent has as much right to drive their kid to school (probably dropping them off on the way to work so no extra journey) as someone has to use the road to drive to work, meet a friend, go to the cinema etc.

Ring the school and complain, and send photos of the offending cars - every single time. And explain to them that you will continue to ring and complain twice a day until they do something about it.

I don't understand what people expect school to do about it.
Causing an obstruction to the highway is a police matter. If everyone affected rings them everytime an obstruction is caused they will eventually do something about it.
Get your local paper and Facebook groups involved too

And every parent has a reason why their need to park like a twat is ok so nothing changes! It drives me mad as we walk to school and it's like running a gauntlet every day as cars park in the most dangerous ways!

Yes. Or even just do it herself so she can get out any time.

Does anyone else experience anything similar?

@MichaelFlatleyLordoftheDance yes - exactly the same.

one of the neighbours mounted a campaign to get the council to put in time limited parking restrictions on neighbouring streets and double yellow lines on the school street. He worked very hard, engaged councillors and persuaded other neighbours to write it.

He framed it very much about safety - ambulances or fire crews wouldn't be able to get through, one neighbour had been unable to get to a child in A&E as they were blocked in, people driving on pavements to get round, people speeding madly to get through the double parked gap in the road before someone else moved in the other direction.

Now there are parking restrictions all round the area. It took a long time though.

Start with your local councillor and the Highways team in your local council and take it from there. The school will be powerless but they maybe supportive. In my neighbours case, the school were on board as it caused them problems too.

oh and if you have your drive way blocked - always take a photo of it - say the same to your neighbours because then you can send in a fact based dosier of how often it happens and the problems you've encountered (like the person who couldnt drive to a&E)

I agree with reporting to the school and the police. School cannot do more than email out with a plea. At our school we have regular traffic warden patrols now and tickets being given out.

Parking in a drive overnight reduces insurance premiums. I would move my car off my drive and take up the space across it in the morning. Whilst also complaining to school.

WHY DOES EVERYONE KEEP SAYING TO CONTACT THE SCHOOL?
It's not their responsibility. They have enough to do without dealing with local residents who don't have the brains to contact the police, mp and local council.

Our school used to send letters to parents regarding parking. It’s not their responsibility, but they can highlight the issues to parents, and ask drivers to be more considerate.

@BungleandGeorge the information I recall reading a few years ago was that a third of cars that are used to take a child to school go straight back home, and that was when wfh was a lot less than now.

Take away those who could just get up ten minutes earlier and walk, ban SUVs (or have a very large congestion charge say £25 a day so they would be replaced by smaller cars), and ban those unfit to drive, and the issues would be a lot less.

OP I feel for you! I live in the same line with infants school and one road down to junior school and the way parents parks is absolutely unbelievable. We had messages sent from school reminding parents to be mindful when parking during pick up and drop off and now we have the traffic wardens with the camera car comes around and it’s not too bad now. I’m just lucky my house is in the end so parents don’t bother coming to park to the end except few and never block anyone’s driveway. Definitely get the council involved

My DSis lives on a road with a school at bottom, she parked her cars on the road from 8ish and if kids came into her garden she has a sensor hose and the kids get soaked, the parents weren't happy but the kids trampled on so many plants. The parking has changed now and it's permit parking so no longer a issue. She also lived in house before the school was their.

and ban those unfit to drive,

well that’s the case now @LlynTegid

Complain to the school. Over and over. We frequently got messages from the school about parking.
And his ride of people to block you in! Take note of the registration to hand over to the school when you complain. Say you will be reporting it to the police too.

It is their responsibility. No different to a business whose customers are causing disruption for residents.

The more pressure that is put on the school, the more likely they are to actually work with the local council and police to do something about it.

@puncheur the residents should engage the council themselves. they are the ones with the power to introduce parking restrictions not the school. it isn't their responsiblity and they can't do anything other than 'ask' and who will listen.

It is not the schools responsibility for the ust as a business is not liable for what it's customers do unless it's a licensed premises in which case it's license can be revoked under certain circumstances .
Did you get you law degree out of a lucky bag?

But we don’t block drives and park our cars Willy-nilly. No worries about children darting across traffic because the view of the crossing was blocked by poor parking.

what an utter waste of police resource