Clampdown on school parking

Motorists who park indiscriminately during the school run in a Shropshire village face a clampdown by police after a wave of complaints.

Minsterley Parish Council says the problem of double parking and people blocking drives close to Minsterley Primary School, near Shrewsbury, was so bad that it was left with no choice but to seek help from the authorities.

Louise Walsgrove, clerk of the council, said that some residents have already got so fed up of the issue that they have resorted to placing traffic cones.

She has now written to Community Support Officer Angie Roberts, a member of the Local Policing Team for Shrewsbury Rural West, about the matter.

In the letter she praises the work of CSO Roberts and Local Policing Officer Jon Summerfield in supporting the village, and urges them to have a look at the problem.

She says: "The council has received a complaint about the parked cars outside Minsterley Primary School, especially at the end of the school day.

"The council has advised that cars should be parked at the parish hall car park, but this advice has consistently been ignored."

The council is asking the Local Policing Team to speak with drivers as advice about the problem in the school's newsletter has been to no avail.

Maria Hawkaluk, spokeswoman for West Mercia Police, said: "The parking problem will be monitored by the police team in a bid to bring about an improvement."

Mrs Walsgrove said: "The council has always tried to persuade parents who pick up children at the end of the school day to park in the parish hall car park and just walk to the school rather than park along the main road and in front of the houses.

"We are getting complaints from residents in that area. CSO Angie Roberts patrols around there and knows the problem so she is helping to get the drivers to park their cars further down."

By Russell Roberts