School run parking fee plan for Stoke school

A primary school "plagued" with traffic problems is proposing to charge parents to park due to safety concerns.

Parents taking their children to St Gregory's Catholic Academy in Stoke-on-Trent could be charged £15 a term.

Principal Margaret Yates said she had received positive feedback from parents when they were consulted. The school is planning a 50-space car park.

She said although it was not a solution, the school felt it had to minimise risks for its pupils.

"Like many schools, we are plagued with traffic obstructions and dangerous parking around the vicinity of the school which pose daily threats to safety of our children and families," she said.

"We had a consultation meeting with parents which was overwhelmingly positive.

Principal Margaret Yates said the school had to prioritise children's safety

"Part of the consultation was the suggestion to create a car park and introduce a small parking fee of £1 to £2 a week or £10 to £15 a term."

Funds to set up the car park and employ a warden would be raised through the parent teacher association and not come out of the school's education budget, she said.

The idea has been prompted by a drop in congestion recently when a temporary parking site was opened up at the school due to nearby road works.

Local residents, who have been affected by high volume of traffic, have been supportive of the plans, the principal said.

The school board is set to vote on the plans and if approved parents will charged from September.