Parking problems in Friars Lane in Bury St Edmunds are 'not resolved yet' says Sue Collins who takes special needs children to school
A school leader has said they were doing their best to manage a ‘difficult situation’ after it was voiced that parking problems in a Bury St Edmunds lane were not yet resolved.
Two months on, Sue Collins, 60, a passenger assistant with Bennetts, said: "The parking dilemma is not resolved yet."
She said taxis were still struggling to manoeuvre in the lane – a no-through road – when dropping off and picking up at the unit, leading to them reversing into Westgate Street, which was ‘dangerous’.
She said a white line had been painted opposite the unit’s gates in Friars Lane, but that it was not long enough and people were still parking on it.
Maria Kemble, executive head at St Edmund’s, said the white line was part of the original planning permission for the building of the Nest and had helped. She added they had organised signage to be installed at the unit’s gates so everyone knew the entrance was there.
Mrs Kemble said: “It is a difficult situation. Unfortunately, I have no control over the parking or access to Friars Lane and I know that sometimes impatience and lack of courtesy between road users is a problem.
“We are doing our best to manage the situation to enable every one to get to school safely and we need the community to support one another in this with respect and understanding.”
She said many of those who parked in Friars Lane were not connected to the school.
Ms Collins said a sign at the top of the road, indicating there was a school down Friars Lane, would be a ‘brilliant safety measure’.
A spokesperson for West Suffolk Council said: "We patrol both of these streets at least twice every day. We can only enforce the existing restrictions in place and in the past three months we have issued 47 penalty charge notices for offences in Friars Lane/Westgate Street (20 for Friars Lane and 27 for Westgate Street).
"While we can’t be there all the time, if members of the public wish to report a parking infringement online here then our civil enforcement officers out on patrol will attempt to attend and action as soon as it’s operationally possible.”
A spokesperson for Suffolk County Council (SCC) said: "The road safety team from SCC are supporting road safety education at St Edmund's through the Junior Road Safety Officer programme.
"They have investigated the possibility of a School Street – a road closure at drop-off and pick-up times, but due to the layout and usage of roads in the area, it was decided that the location was unsuitable for this type or closure.
"Our road safety team’s focus remains on ensuring that young people are helped to be safe and responsible when out and about.”
