We’re furious after the council installed huge wooden posts to stop us parking outside school, it’s like a battlefield
PARENTS accused of parking badly outside their kids’ school have blasted the council’s “battlefield” measures to stop them.
Mums and dads were met with huge wooden posts outside Sir Francis Hill Community Primary in Lincoln, Lincs., when they dropped their kids off on the first day of term this week.
The sharpened posts, which cost Lincolnshire County Council £1,000 in total, were installed over the summer holidays in a desperate bid to stop parents pulling their cars onto the grass verges outside.
But parents were left baffled to find the extreme measures on Tuesday – and claimed they could even make matters worse.
One mum told the Sun Online: “This is way over the top.
“It looks like something you would see on a battlefield in Game of Thrones.
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“It was always difficult to find somewhere to park around here because there aren’t enough spaces – but they have just made it more of a pain.”
Some parents have blasted drivers for putting their kids in danger, with a lack of parking said to be to blame for a number of near-misses.
But many were still seen pulling into gaps between the posts on Tuesday, with late-comers rushing through the chaos to make the morning drop-off.
One mum, who was dropped off with her son in the middle of the road, raged: “I live too far away to walk and it has always been difficult dropping the little ones off. Now it’s just got worse.”
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Another working parent added: “People like me have work. I don’t have enough time to park my car.
“So I do not like this idea at all. We need a car park – that would be much more helpful. Why don’t they build one of those instead?”
Attempts to solve the chaos in the past have included a CCTV car and traffic wardens patrolling, The Lincolnite reports.
But many fear the new bollards will do little more to help calm the situation, with some fearing it could make matters worse.
One mum said: “It will not stop parents, they park all over the road.”
Her partner added: “When the traffic warden is here they carry on driving and do not stop.
It looks like something you would see on a battlefield in Game of Thrones.
Disgruntled parent
“But otherwise they park on the grass and road. We will have to wait and see what happens now.”
Meanwhile, other locals have praised the idea, with those living next to the green verges welcoming the bollards as a deterrent for cars.
Local resident Ben Irons, 33, whose home backs onto the cordoned off area, said: “Usually, when I look out I would see three or four cars parked on the grass.
“We have seen a traffic warden but it did not seem to stop the problem so this is an improvement.”
Vanessa Hall, 38, added: “I think it’s a great idea.
“When the traffic warden is there no-one parks badly. But when he is not there people park where they want and it is a free for all.
“My little boy nearly got knocked over here one day.”
Dad Rob Belcher, 31, agreed, admitting: “To be fair it is a good idea.
“People have been parking all over, nearly hitting kids – there has been accidents. They think just because they are not on the yellow lines it is all right to park on the grass.”
Lincolnshire County Council’s executive member for highways Councillor Richard Davies said: “Parking outside of schools is a big cause of concern for us, so we’re proactively doing what we can to prevent this.
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“Ensuring the safety of all children is our top priority, so we hope these measures will prevent vehicles from illegally parking up outside of these Lincoln schools.”
Sir Francis Hill Community Primary School has been approached for comment.