PARENTS could be banned from parking near a Knutsford school because they are endangering children's lives needlessly.

Governors at Bexton Primary School want to introduce waiting restrictions to prevent parents parking dangerously and cluttering up roads near the school.

Corners

"The committee wants to reinforce what should be normal practice," said headteacher Sandra Herd yesterday (Tuesday).

"People should not be parking on corners but they are doing and action needs to be taken to stop this.

"When the traffic warden is about no one parks in these places but we need to put a stop to it completely."

The proposals - due to be considered by Macclesfield's joint highways committee tomorrow (Thursday) - will stop drivers parking on stretches of Blackhill Lane, Beggerman's Lane and Bexton Lane between 8am and 9.30am and 3pm and 4pm.

Governor Christine Falder, a member of the school's safer routes to school working party, said yesterday that the ultimate goal was to provide a safe place for children to cross.

"Small children cannot see over the parked cars so they cannot cross the road safely," she said. "And if they are hidden a driver cannot see them either.

"It is an accident waiting to happen and we've been campaigning for two years to bring this to people's attention.

"Parents and governors' number one priority is the children's safety and this is the only way forward."

But yesterday afternoon parents collecting their children by car said a ban on parking would not solve the problem.

"I can understand that they are concerned about the children's safety and that's reassuring," said mum Claire Gorton. "But I have to travel five miles to get here so there is no way I can walk.

Problems

"The road users are aware of the problems around here and I think they adjust their driving accordingly."

Knutsford mum Sarah Henderson usually walks to the school in Blackhill Lane to pick up her daughter.

"I only bring the car when I'm going straight out afterwards," she said. "There is a tremendous problem with parking - I've even seen some parents park on the yellow zigzags outside the school."

But she said that a crossing patrol would work better than a parking ban.

"Parents will just take their cars further into the estate causing more problems," she said. "I don't really think restrictions are the answer."

Valley Way resident Evelyn Lord told the Knutsford Guardian that she was resigned to viewing cars parked bumper to bumper in front of her home, but did not want to see the problem get any worse.

"If they can't park near to the school they'll just come down here," she said. "I can understand the school is concerned for the children's safety but it is dangerous enough here already. We don't want any more cars."

The plans, which include waiting restrictions for all three lanes, are expected to be approved.