Parents 'persecuted' by being asked to park safely
Friday, 9th April 2010.
Parents parking dangerously in School Lane, Haverhill, have complained to police they are being 'persecuted' by being asked to move on.
Haverhill Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), a police-led group of agencies, had adopted the problems of School Lane parking asone of its three monthly priorities last month.
But yesterday's meeting of the SNT heard that very little progress had been made, because the crucial local government officer had been unable to attend a specially-arranged site meeting.
In the meantime police had done their best to try to improve the situation but did not have the resources to give it continual attention.
The local beat officer PC Will Wright had moved motorists on, but had not issued tickets, the meeting was told by another member of the SNT, PC Michael Potter.
"We can't go up there every day," he said. "It has been a matter of prevention rather than prosecution, because PC Wright is the beat officer for the area and does not want to end up alienating people on his beat.
"He has already taken a bit of negative feedback from people asking why they are being persecuted."
Schools had found it impossible to deal with what was becoming a dangerous situation, because teachers who tried to marshal parents to park elsewhere to keep the crossing safe just received abuse.
SNT chairman Cllr Tim Marks said if people had a habit of parking there double yellow lines would not stop them, so he favoured road narrowing measures, restricted turns and the provision of some parking bays, which had been discussed at the site meeting.
But PC Potter said it had been impossible to decide on any course of action because Kevin Shipp from Suffolk County Council highways department who, at the previous SNT meeting, had agreed to a discussion on site, had not attended, so the resource implications were unknown.
Sgt Sarah Bartley said they had now got some cones to put out when the new term started, but this was only going to be a temporary fix.
Cllr Marks said he would pursue the matter with Mr Shipp.
Haverhill Safer Neighbourhood Team (SNT), a police-led group of agencies, had adopted the problems of School Lane parking asone of its three monthly priorities last month.
But yesterday's meeting of the SNT heard that very little progress had been made, because the crucial local government officer had been unable to attend a specially-arranged site meeting.
In the meantime police had done their best to try to improve the situation but did not have the resources to give it continual attention.
The local beat officer PC Will Wright had moved motorists on, but had not issued tickets, the meeting was told by another member of the SNT, PC Michael Potter.
"We can't go up there every day," he said. "It has been a matter of prevention rather than prosecution, because PC Wright is the beat officer for the area and does not want to end up alienating people on his beat.
"He has already taken a bit of negative feedback from people asking why they are being persecuted."
Schools had found it impossible to deal with what was becoming a dangerous situation, because teachers who tried to marshal parents to park elsewhere to keep the crossing safe just received abuse.
SNT chairman Cllr Tim Marks said if people had a habit of parking there double yellow lines would not stop them, so he favoured road narrowing measures, restricted turns and the provision of some parking bays, which had been discussed at the site meeting.
But PC Potter said it had been impossible to decide on any course of action because Kevin Shipp from Suffolk County Council highways department who, at the previous SNT meeting, had agreed to a discussion on site, had not attended, so the resource implications were unknown.
Sgt Sarah Bartley said they had now got some cones to put out when the new term started, but this was only going to be a temporary fix.
Cllr Marks said he would pursue the matter with Mr Shipp.
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