School charges parents for parking

The school is planning to charge £25 per year for parking

A Salisbury school is planning to charge parents for parking their cars to pick up their children.

St Osmund's Catholic Primary School is to charge £25 a year for using a car park next to its premises.

The charge follows complaints from nearby residents who say they are fed up with parents parking in their spaces.

The scheme has been devised following an agreement from the Friary Residents Association, which owns the car park, school governors and local councillors.

A statement from the district council says it has approved the scheme.

I can see no point to this scheme being introduced Dave Roberts

"All proceeds from the scheme will go to local organisations, such as the youth club", the statement said.

But the council's transportation officer, Graham Wright, said they were not at the centre of the parking charges - as suggested by a letter sent out by the school.

"It is unfortunate that the tone of the letter sent to parents suggests this is a council-driven scheme.

'Meddling'

"We have not imposed anything. We were responding to a direct request from the local community."

Sue Thorpe, one of the school's governors, said the school has already tried different solutions.

"The problem arose when the area became a residents' parking zone.

"They have all had to pay £25 in order to park their cars.

"The school was left with four drop-off points, which for a school of around 200, was not enough.

"We had to talk to the council about another way forward."

Parent Dave Roberts added: "It's not a system that works very well, and people are now meddling and changing it.

"It will change nothing, and will probably make things worse.

"I can see no point to this scheme being introduced at all."