Councillor wins concessions for school's neighbours

A Labour councillor in Kingswood has won some concessions for residents blighted by school traffic concerns.  Barley Close Primary School in Mangotsfield is situated at the end of a residential cul-de-sac, and residents have long complained about traffic and parking during school pick ups.  Now South Gloucestershire education chiefs want to expand the school to meet the growing demand for places, and local councillor Michael Bell threatened to force the matter to a committee decision until education and planning chiefs promised they would take action to help meet the residents' complaints.

 

Council education bosses had been slow in submitting the necessary planning application for temporary classrooms at Barley Close and were anxious that any delay to the planning process would prevent the structures being in place in time for the new term in September.

 

As a result of Councillor Michael Bell's intervention, the council has now promised to:

· Provide ''Keep Clear" and zigzag markings to one side of Barley Close and access to garages to the rear of Barley Close. 

· Provide signage with waiting restrictions to ease congestion at busy times when the school opens and closes.

· Increase the parking area in Barley Close.  Residents have indicated that they would be happy to lose the grassed area to increase parking.

· Increase parking area in The Laurels and create a new access way directly from the parking area on to the school site. 

· Set up a monitoring group comprising local members, residents and officers is set-up to monitor regularly the progression of these traffic-related matters.

 

Commenting on the concessions, Councillor Michael Bell (Labour, Rodway) said:

 

 "Council officials were very keen to rush this through the planning process without comment because they had submitted the application at the eleventh hour which left no time for discussion.  I was not prepared to let this go through until the concerns of the school's immediate neighbours were addressed, which they now have been.  I have no desire or intention to halt the expansion of the school, but the situation for its neighbours must not be disregarded in the process."

 

Councillor Bell says he is now waiting for a date for the first meeting of the monitoring group.