Market Harborough primary school calls on council to ease traffic congestion amid safety fears

Harborough MP calls on council to ease traffic congestion at local primary school amid safety fears

A council is being called on to help ease the problem of heavy traffic outside a Market Harborough school during the busy school run. Headteacher of St Joseph’s Catholic Academy Bernadette Dabbs said traffic was a “huge problem” outside the school and that she feared that if nothing changed, “sooner or later an accident will happen”.

However, Harborough MP Neil O’Brien believes he has found a solution – drivers using a nearby Harborough District Council-owned car park in the mornings. He has called on the local authority to allow that the happen.

He said traffic outside St Joseph’s Catholic Academy in Market Harborough “can be chaotic” in the mornings with stopping cars causing congestion on the busy Coventry Road. There is currently nowhere near the school for parents to easily drop off their children, but the The Commons car park, just five minutes’ walk away, is ‘virtually empty’ during that time, he claimed.

Mr O’Brien added the school has had a run of bad luck recently. It was one of three local schools where reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) – a form of concrete that is much weaker than traditional concrete – was discovered. He said that discovery had created a huge problem for the school, which has taken some time to resolve. However, the parking problem of morning drop-offs is an issue that could be easily and quickly fixed to make things a little easier for the school.

Harborough District Council acknowledged the school was experiencing traffic congestion and problematic parking during the school runs. The council said it would be assessing the options and talking to the school to see if it can find a practical solution.

Harborough MP Neil O’Brien said: “I loved visiting the school and meeting the pupils and staff. I spoke with the headteacher about the school’s successes, as well as the challenges they face. Undoubtedly, the discovery of RAAC posed a huge problem for the school, and I am pleased that we now have some light at the end of the tunnel. Whilst that has taken some time to resolve, there is another issue that could be easily and quickly resolved, and that is the issue of morning drop-offs.

“As with any school, morning drop-offs can be chaotic, with all the children arriving at the same time. Whilst this can be managed in a lot of places, with St Joseph’s it is harder because there are no places to easily drop off the children. It is also located on the busy Coventry Road, and stopping cars often cause congestion.

“However, there is a council-owned car park nearby, which is virtually empty at that time of the morning. The Commons car park would be a perfect place to easily – and safely – drop off children in the morning; it’s close to the school and would eliminate congestion on the road.

“I have written to Harborough Council, who own the car park, to see if they will agree to this request. It makes total sense and would result in an immediate improvement in the morning drop-offs. It would only be needed in the morning as evening pick-ups are staggered and don’t cause the same problem. Whilst this may only be a small measure, it would create a big difference for this wonderful school in the town.”

St Josephs Catholic Academy Headteacher, Bernadette Dabbs, added: “We have a huge problem with available parking around the vicinity of our building and we are very concerned about the safety of our children. A considerable number of our families are not within walking distance of the school and so rely on travelling to school by car.

“We have made adjustments over the last couple of years to provide a staggered drop off for children and parents between 8:30am to 8:50am; however, the problem with parking has not resolved. There is heavy congestion on the roads around our school at this time in the morning, because of the limited parking around our school.

“This increase in traffic makes our roads unsafe for our children. We fear that sooner or later an accident will happen, and we want this to be prevented. If our parents and children were able to park safely and free of charge before 9am each morning in The Commons Car Park, which is a short walk from the school, this would be a superb solution.

“It would ease the traffic on the roads around our school and keep our children safe. We are thrilled that MP Neil O’Brien supports this idea and we hope that Harborough Council will be able to make this small adjustment which will have a huge impact on the safety of the children in our community.”

Councillor Darren Woodiwiss, Harborough District Council’s cabinet lead for environmental and climate change, said: “We acknowledge that St Joseph’s Primary School is experiencing traffic congestion and problematic parking during morning school runs. We also understand the school’s concerns for pupil safety and thank the MP Neil O’Brien for bringing this to our attention on Wednesday afternoon (14 February). We will assess the options and liaise with the school to see if we can find a practical solution.”