School parking situation in Market Drayton is 'dire', councillors agree
Town councillors are pushing for safer roads near schools to improve a "dire" situation before a child is killed, they say.
Market Drayton Town Council has requested that Shropshire Council visit the town to implement a Schools Street Scheme outside Market Drayton Infant School and Market Drayton Junior School.
Town councillor Steve Glover proposed the motion to the town council's community and governance committee after receiving complaints from parents of children as well as people who live in the affected areas, with access affected by a surplus of parked cars.
He noted the Schools Street Scheme which was introduced at Coleham Primary School in Shrewsbury at the end of last year – traffic is now banned on Greyfriars Road when children arrive in the morning and leave in the afternoon.
Councillors agreed that in Market Drayton, Longslow Road and Alexandra Road are particular hotspots for complaints about parking around school opening and closing times.
Councillor Mark Whittle, who led the committee meeting, said: "I used to live in Grotto Road [near the junior school] and I know it's dire down there.
"It beggars belief that some young child hasn't been run down yet and I don't want to see that happen."
Behaviour
Councillors Roger Smith and Matt Erwin agreed there was an issue and said that in the past, a more visible police presence had improved matters.
Councillor Mike Smith said that behaviour was an issue, with some parents driving dangerously at busy times. Councillor Roy Aldcroft agreed and pointed to schemes in the Netherlands where parents and children walk to school together in 'trains'.
"It's down to behaviour, not so much with the engineering," he said.
Some of the potential answers put forward by Councillor Mike Smith were additional parking being installed at the town park near the infant school, or a pass system at the Frogmore Road car park so parents can park there before 9am and walk to school.
Councillor Erwin said: "Modern life – the kids don't walk, they don't go on their bikes. Parents drop them off and it's going to be a problem.
"I'm afraid there's no easy answer to it. Get Shropshire Council down by all means but what their solution would be, I don't know, because I can't see a solution to this in all honesty."
At the vote, all of the councillors voted to request a visit from Shropshire Council officers to find a way forward.
