THE school run is causing “pandemonium” in a Canvey street after parents were stopped from using a car park.
People living in Hilton Road claim the parking situation at the beginning and end of the school day has become worse since the Silver Jubilee pub, which allowed parents to use its car park, closed in July.
They fear the opening of a Morrisons convenience store, in the same road as Winter Gardens Primary School and St Katherine’s Primary School, will only make the problem worse.
One resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said: “It is absolutely crazy. Some of them start parking there about 1.30pm or 2pm. One woman used to have a book and would be reading there from 1.30pm.
“You have got people who can’t get to their own homes as they have got people parked there for school. They park and jam it up and park on the wrong side of the road. Now we have got Morrisons down the road instead of a pub.
“At the end of the day, it is a residential road. There is one way in and one way out.”
Ward councillors Neville Watson and Peter Greig say they have seen an increase in complaints from residents in recent weeks.
Mr Watson said: “It is absolute pandemonium – the whole place comes to a standstill.
“They used to park in the Silver Jubilee, but now that facility has gone there are obviously lots of displaced cars in the area and people can’t even get off the street. I don’t know how far people are actually coming from and whether they can walk, I don’t know, but it can’t simply carry on like that.”
Christopher Hayes, headteacher of Winter Gardens Primary School, said: “Hilton Road is very busy come the start of the day and the end of the day and it is something we need to look at in the future.”
He said he had noticed an increase in cars parked in the road, but said most of his pupils walked to school and used the back gate and he did not know what more the school could do.
No one from St Katherine’s was available for comment.
A Morrisons spokesman said: “The safety of the community is extremely important to us which is why we have secured the site as work begins.
“Once the store opens, we will be providing dedicated parking for customers to avoid them parking on the streets.”
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