Parking at new Leicester school is a nightmare, say residents

Residents have complained about parking at pick-up and drop-off times

Inconsiderate parking on grass verges by parents outside a school has been branded a "nightmare" by residents.

The verges outside Castle Mead Academy in Leicester have been ripped up as parents avoid the double yellow lines.

A frustrated resident in Tudor Road said traffic in the area had become "absolutely terrible".

Leicester City Council said it was working up designs to install rails and bollards to prevent parking on verges and footpaths.

"Some of the parents were quite enthusiastic about telling me there's nothing anyone can do because they can't get parking tickets for parking on the grass," a resident told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS).

"If they're parking on the path or the double yellow lines, they can.

"Now the weather is changing, it's just horrible. With the colder, wetter weather arriving this has turned the once lush green area into a muddy bog."

The city council is planning to install rails and bollards

He said the area was already "historically a nightmare" with city centre workers regularly parking along the road and walking into the town.

But he said the issue had got worse since the new secondary school opened its doors in September.

"Disappointingly, it has been nearly four months and the number of cars parked has not reduced," he added.

To help ease the problem, the school said it had struck an agreement with the nearby Tesco supermarket to allow parents to park there.

Head teacher Tom Hague said as well as this "park and stride" scheme, they had a drop-off area at the school and encouraged pupils to walk or cycle.

"We are aware that some local residents have raised concerns about parking, and we are working with parents to remind them to be courteous and respectful of the community when picking up and dropping off at school," he added.

A Leicester City Council spokesperson said: "Our parking team has been carrying out targeted enforcement activity, but some motorists persist in parking inconsiderately.

"We are working up designs at the moment for proposals to install rails and bollards which would physically prevent parking on verges and footpaths."

It said, if approved, work on these could start in spring and added: "While we appreciate it's not always possible, we would encourage people to walk, cycle or use public transport where they can - to minimise these issues and other issues caused by school run traffic."