PARENTS have been left livid after a pedantic council banned cars from dropping kids at their school’s front gates.
Solihull Council, near Birmingham, brought in the “ridiculous” restrictions around eight schools.
They claim measures were rolled out in order to tackle what they claim was “nightmarish” congestion sparked by parents in their cars.
Windy Arbor Primary School in Chelmsley Wood is one of the schools to have the draconian rules brought down on it.
There, signs state clearly that cars cannot park between the drop off and pick up times of 8.30am and 9.10am & 2.45 and 3.45pm.
It means parents can’t even get within 100 metres of the school gates – leaving them livid.
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Mum Kay Poiser, 38, a support worker, slammed the “petty” Conservative-run council for the initiative which she says has simply pushed congestion “down the road”.
She said: “It’s ridiculous. They are trying to force all the cars to park in a smaller space than ever before. There is no way I am parking down there.
“It’s just petty. This is a school. Parents drop off their kids and then they go so what is the problem?”
Carer Leanne Richards, 34, who has five children at the school, agreed: “Most of my friends drive and life is a struggle at the best of times without the Council making a big deal out of nothing.”
Leanne took aim at residents who had registered complaints about congestion but said “this is what happens” when you live next to a school.
Residents who live in flats and houses near Windy Arbor Primary had complained about selfish parents who blocked their garages or let their cars idle during drop-offs.
Peter Cook, 78, said: “The residents have had enough because some of the parents just don’t care.
“Last year I had to take my wife to hospital and could not get out of my drive because a parent had blocked me in.”
But he said the new measures have made “no real difference” parents are flagrantly breaking the rules because “no one comes to check”.
Hayley Louise, 33, a retail worker and another resident who had complained about the parking outside her home, said “no-one is adhering to it”.
She claimed: “People live three streets away and still drive.”
John Yeats, 81, who lives near the new signs said the issue has simply been pushed to outside his front door – and he’s getting “30 minutes of mayhem now every morning and every evening”.
The residents have had enough because some of the parents just don’t care
Peter Cook, resident
His neighbour Susan Bradford, 74, added: “It is just horrendous. People park on the pavements and parents with pushchairs can’t get by. “
Meanwhile grandmother Romilly Slater, 54, who drops her grandkids off each morning is exempted as a blue badge holder, but she reckons a different approach was required.
She explained: “A better way would be to set up a reward system and get parents into car pools to cut down on traffic.’”
Regardless of the changes, some parents have vowed to ignore the rules.
Taylor George said: “I only noticed this yesterday and I think it’s disgusting. This is a school and they should provide some parking for parents.”
Midwife Sarah Fox, 37, was also unimpressed, adding: “We need to get our kids to school and then we’re gone. I don’t see the problem.’
Other parents were more relaxed about the change.
Financial advisor Simon Compton, 46, who was dropping off his son on his way to work, said: “It maybe adds an extra minute so it really makes no difference to me.”
And Michelle Green, 35, a lunchtime supervisor, said: “Some parents take no notice but I think it is good to improve the air quality outside the school. “
Exemptions include cars displaying a valid School Streets permit, emergency service workers, blue badge holders, delivery and postal vehicles and taxis.
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Councillor Ken Hawkins, cabinet member for environment and highways, said: “These measures will make it safer and more pleasant for everyone around the sites.”
The Sun Online has approached both Solihull Council and Windy Arbor Primary School for comment.
