Call for permanent traffic warden at school

The petition, signed by 26 people in Moor Park Road and nearby Kewferry Road, is due to be heard by Councillor Keith Burrows, cabinet member for planning and transportation, at a meeting at Hillingdon Civic Centre on Wednesday.

Their submission reads: "The residents of the roads in close proximity to St Martin's School, Moor Park Road, Northwood, request a permanent traffic enforcement officer (term-time only) at the beginning and end of the school day.

"The parking has become a major issue with those collecting children from the school parking on double yellow lines, parking across residents' driveways and parking at the junctions of both Moor Park Road with Kewferry Road, as well as Moor Park Road with Hill Road."

Lead petitioner Freya Teskey told the Gazette: "Parents park with impunity on double yellow lines and on the speed humps as well as across residents driveways because they are not prepared to walk any distance at all.

"It is a matter of time before a child runs out between cars, unseen by those attempting to drive down the road, and is injured.

"We never see any parking wardens to enforce the parking restrictions and the PCSOs are ineffective as they have no legal standing to enforce restrictions."

The school is already visited on occasion by a traffic warden - one of 35 deployed across the borough.

A report, written by a council officer ahead of tonight's meeting, said six visits were made to the street between April 16 and May 28. Four motorists were asked to move on and only one penalty notice was issued, according to the report.

It also says that, with more than 100 schools in the borough, many of which suffer similar problems, it is not possible to have traffic wardens at every school all the time.

Headteacher David Tidmarsh said: "We continually remind our parents in our fortnightly newsletter to park considerately for the benefit of our neighbours and the children.

"We would welcome support from the council to ensure that pupils can be dropped off and collected safely, if that means a higher profile from traffic enforcement officers, then we believe that would be beneficial for all concerned."