One parent said people were now worried about being ticketed while collecting their children from school
One parent said people were now worried about being ticketed while collecting their children from school
Teachers at an Everton primary school have resorted to parking on a playing field to avoid parking charges as Liverpool City Council continues its crack-down on illegal parking in school zones. Until recently, both staff and parents dropping children off at Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary habitually parked on the streets surrounding the school.
Despite the streets being officially “residents only”, these regulations were not typically enforced, meaning drivers were free to park without fear of being ticketed. Liverpool City Council recently increased enforcement of parking regulations in the area, leading to some staff members parking on grass on the school grounds to avoid charges.
An upcoming face-to-face parents evening has also been axed and replaced with an online meeting due to fears the event “may result in many families receiving parking fines due to the limited availability of legal parking nearby”.
A letter sent from head teacher Louise Partington to parents and guardians on Tuesday, November 4, read: “As you may be aware, Liverpool City Council has recently increased enforcement of parking regulations in the residential areas surrounding our school.
“This has unfortunately caused difficulties for both staff and parents, and you may have noticed that some staff members have temporarily resorted to parking on the grass within the school grounds. Please be assured that this is a short-term measure, and we are actively seeking a more sustainable solution to the current parking challenges.
“With this in mind, we are conscious that our upcoming Parents’ Evening may result in many families receiving parking fines due to the limited availability of legal parking nearby. To make attendance possible for all families, we have decided to hold this Parents’ Evening online.
“While this is not our preferred approach-as we greatly value the opportunity to meet with parents in person-we believe it is the most considerate option under the current circumstances.
“We welcome your feedback on this decision and appreciate your continued support and understanding. More information will follow in the next few days.”
One parent told the ECHO: “My children have attended OLI for over 12 years and I’ve never known the council to ticket cars. Over the past few months they’ve decided to enforce the residents only parking after not issuing a ticket, to the best of my knowledge, since the parking restrictions came into place.
“The teachers are having to now park inside the school grounds where the children used to be able to play which is impacting on the children.
“Parents are now worried when collecting their children and today we were told that the upcoming parents evening is now online-only due to the concerns the head has.
“Parents are now concerned as to what will happen in the coming weeks as the children are due to have their Christmas performances and the worry is tickets will be issued.
“Having never enforced the parking my question is why now? Also, why can’t the council issue passes for the school staff who are educating our children. Finally, surely a common sense approach should prevail regarding school events and the school runs?”
The increased enforcement comes after Liverpool Council issued stern warnings to parents and guardians parking illegally around schools. In May, the local authority revealed 94 penalty charge notices had been issued in the past 12 months to drivers who failed to obey the rules.
To date, eight locations have been set up with camera enforcement as part of Liverpool Council’s school streets initiative. There are plans for a further 42 to be adopted within the next two years.
The programme aims to create safer, more pedestrian-friendly environments around schools by restricting or reducing motor traffic during school drop-off and pick-up times. Those who need to drive to school are being urged to park further away and walk where possible.
A Liverpool City Council spokesperson said: “Residential parking zones are introduced to ensure that residents are able to park on a road close to their house where parking may otherwise be limited.
“During the hours of operation, vehicles that do not have a valid permit may be issued a parking fine if they are parked on the road. There are a small number of free parking bays nearby which can be used without a permit.”
A spokesperson for Our Lady Immaculate Catholic Primary School said: “The increased enforcement of parking regulations in the residential areas surrounding our school has caused difficulties for both staff and parents. We’re actively seeking a more sustainable solution to the current parking challenges.
“Due to these challenges, our upcoming Parents’ Evening will be held online. This is not our preferred approach, but we believe it is the most considerate option under the current circumstances.
“We remain in regular contact with our parents and will update them on our progress is due course.”
