Praise for school parking initiative

A new parking initiative has been launched to help ease congestion at a Lynn school.West Norfolk borough councillor Deborah Heneghan has been thanked for her efforts in getting the scheme off the ground which allows free 30-minute
parking at peak school drop-off and collection times for those with pupils at Whitefriars Academy.The Labour councillor said she has been fighting for sometime for the scheme after responding to the despair of residents living near the school.

The initiative, launched on October 21, allows parents to park for free at the nearby West Norfolk Council-owned Boal Quay car park for 30 minutes each morning and afternoon using special permits.Cllr Heneghan said she suggested the idea a year ago after being contacted by “despairing residents about congestion caused by some car-driving parents clogging the narrow roads near the school when delivering and collecting pupils”.Many of Whitefriars’ parents live outside town, or drop their children off on their way to work, meaning walking to school isn’t an option, said Cllr Heneghan. “The road the school is located on is particularly narrow, and congestion had been frustrating for residents trying to go to work, as well as a danger for pupils.“But car-driving parents said there was nowhere else to stop other than council-owned Boal Quay long-stay car park, where a fee of £3.30 must be paid. “The beauty of the new scheme is that it is free for 30 minutes at the beginning and end of the school day for parents using a QR code supplied by the school,” she explained.Following the launch more than 100 parents had signed up with more expected to get onboard.Cllr Heneghan said she was pleased the scheme she has long fought for has finally begun and she thanked the borough council for its co-operation. She said: “I am very glad I have been able to help the residents of Whitefriars Road and adjoining streets, who told me that some parents in cars were blocking the road and keeping their engines running.“But the parents were in a bind. It is great that so many of them have taken advantage of the scheme, which benefits children too. Parking outside primary schools is a problem countrywide – Whitefriars is very fortunate to have a council car park very nearby and we hope the permits will go some way to solving the problem of congestion and pollution in the area.“I would like to thank the council officers who worked hard to get the scheme up and running and also councillor Bal Anota, cabinet member for events and open spaces, for his support.”Whitefriars’ headteacher Mathew Tuckwood said: “Like many schools, the roads around our school become extremely congested and potentially dangerous both at the start and end of the school day. “We are hoping that this new parking initiative, in liaison with the local council, will significantly reduce the amount of traffic on the roads around our school and ensure that the children can all arrive and leave our school each day safely. Cllr Deborah Heneghan has been instrumental in finding a solution for our traffic problem.”Cllr Anota, cabinet member for events and public open space, said: “School drop-off and collection can be congested and difficult. I’m pleased to see, due to the close proximity of Boal Quay car park, that residents and parents around Whitefriars School will now benefit from this trial allowing parents free access for half an hour in the morning and again in the afternoon.“This means that parents can park safely and walk the remaining 165m to the gate. The aim is to reduce congestion around those tight streets and hopefully improve air quality near the school. It should also make it safer for children who walk or cycle to school.“I would like to thank Cllr Heneghan for her tenacious work along with council officers who made this trial happen. This is a good news story, not only for the council but, the school, their parents, and local residents.” Following the launch one parent told YLP: “The roads in front of the school are always a bit chaotic and to be able to use the nearby Boal Quay car park for drop-off and pick-up should help to ease that congestion.“Previously, you had to pay for a full day’s parking just to park there for 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the afternoon which just wasn’t feasible.”