College car park's 'carnage' in rush hour - students

Telford College has more than 1,000 full-time students, and many more attending part-time

Staff and students are calling for better access to Telford College's car park, which they describe as "carnage" during the rush hour.

"It's just every man for themselves," said Jasmine, one of the students who said it could take up to an hour in the queue to get to the exit, particularly at 16:30 when classes finish.

The Wellington campus has only one exit, onto Haybridge Road, which is busy with rush hour traffic at the end of the college day.

A Telford College spokesperson said they "fully understand people's frustrations" and were "exploring new measures to improve traffic flow."

The problem of leaving or arriving at the campus car park is compounded by heavy traffic at nearby roundabouts as well as traffic lights and buses.

None of the students, staff, or parents interviewed wanted to give their full names.

Jasmine said the traffic was making her late for classes and said that "when you arrive 15 minutes late and your tutor is upset and angry [with you], all you can do is just say that you're sorry."

"It's really, really frustrating."

'Waiting nearly an hour'

Jamal, 19, completed his studies at the college earlier this year and described the atmosphere in the car park as a "shaken Coke bottle ready to pop".

"It's like Birmingham traffic at rush hour; that's what I'd compare it to," he added.

Jamal said some of his friends had waited "for nearly an hour" to leave the car park.

One student said the queues make her late for lectures

One staff member, who wished to remain anonymous, contacted BBC Radio Shropshire about the issue.

"I love working there, but I stay late to avoid the traffic," they said.

"From 4pm until 5.30pm there's heavy traffic on Whitchurch Drive. We have to join that traffic which causes a backlog to the car park," they said.

Becci, who drops off and picks up her daughter from the college, said she can wait 45 minutes in the queue each time.

"It is absolutely awful," she said. "If you don't get there early, you ain't getting into the car park.

"You've got so many people that don't give way or push their way through," she added. "It's just carnage."

Becci says she can wait 45 minutes in the queue twice a day in the car park when she drops off and collects her daughter

The chaos in the car park is, apparently, not a recent issue.

Kait, who finished studying at the college in 2016, said: "It can be dangerous for both drivers and students. They will try and cross the roads while drivers are doing dangerous manoeuvres."

In a statement Telford College said that "over the years the college has explored ways of regulating traffic coming onto the Wellington campus", while "the experience of our learners and the accessibility of our campus are also paramount".

They hoped its new sixth-form building in Telford town centre for A-level students would "ease traffic pressures going forward".

Work has begun on turning the former council office into a sixth-form centre. It will include science labs, a drama studio and a library and is due to open in September 2026.