TOUGH new parking
restrictions are to be
introduced at Marston Green
Infant Academy in response
to concerns about congestion
during the school run.
The “traffic exclusion zone”,
which will come into force next September,
aims to address problems
caused by parents
picking up and dropping
off pupils.
As part of proposals,
which will also include
a 20mph speed limit,
vehicles are expected
to be banned between
8am-9am and 2.30pm-
3.30pm every weekday.
Only those with
special permits, such as
local residents and the
disabled, will be exempt.
Solihull Council has admitted
that previous campaigns to deter
mums and dads from clogging up
surrounding streets had often fallen
on deaf ears.
They have now drawn up plans
for the new pilot scheme, which
will be trialled at Marston Green
and two other schools (Oak Cottage
Primary, near Olton, and Haslucks
Green School, in Shirley).
Depending on the success of the
scheme at these three sites, similar
restrictions could be put in place at
other schools around the borough.
The plans were approved by
Councillor Ted Richards, cabinet
member for transport and
highways, who has spoken in
the past about the deluge of
complaints the council receives
about driveways being blocked and
cars churning up grass verges.
Paul Tovey, the council’s head
of highway services, said: “We
started this process off following
a successful trial in Edinburgh
[in response to] a similar type of
problem.
“School gate parking has been on
the agenda for a number of years
now and we have been
trying to make inroads
into changing people’s
behaviour.
“It’s worth pointing
out that this tool is
only suitable in certain
locations, you can’t put it
outside every school.”
A total of 11 schools
registered an interest in
taking part in the pilot
and interestingly six of
them were in North Solihull
(Marston Green Infants,
Castle Bromwich Juniors, Yorkswood
Primary, Smith’s Wood Primary,
Fordbridge Primary and Smith’s
Wood Sports College).
Marston Green was chosen as one
of the most suitable sites because
of the local road layout and the fact
that 60 per cent of children lived
within a mile.
Councillor Stephen Holt (Green,
Smith’s Wood) said he was “very
pleased” that the scheme had been
brought forward but asked what
would be done to consult local
residents.
“I think this is rather different
from what most people are used
to,” he said.
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I lived on the street outside marston green school for several years (my parents still live there). There is already a ban on parking between certain hours on the street - often meaning i would have to move my car early morning following a night shift. I would welcome permit parking. However i know people park on our drive without our permission for the school run. Itll need enforcing thourghly to actually work.
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