CONCERNS have been raised about the ‘inevitable’ parking problems at a Kidderminster primary school while a Co-Op is demolished to make way for a Lidl.
For many years, the Co-Op on Franche Road has allowed parents to use the store’s car park to drop off and collect children at Franche Community School.
However, the Co-Op is set to close in July and will be demolished for a new Lidl, which will not be set to open until 2027.
It is estimated that around 900 pupils arrive and leave every school day, along with 185 staff requiring parking on and around the school premises.
This creates big problems in traffic movement and parking along Chestnut Grove, where the school is based.
Although Lidl has announced it will once again offer support to the school when it opens, in the short term, the car park will be lost, leading to fears traffic near the school will dramatically increase.
Coun Anthony Upton said: “In the context of cohesion between the parents, residents of Chestnut Grove and the staff of Franche School, there needs to be a plan of action implemented to be proactive and eliminate any problems before they manifest themselves.
“I met with the headmistress, Mrs Elizabeth Dixon and listened to the daily frustration and stress dropping off and parking in Chestnut Grove brings – even with the Co-op facility taking a lot of pressure off the volume of traffic driving down the Grove.
“But as Mrs Dixon stated, the safety of the children is always my biggest concern.”
Coun Upton has spoken with Worecestershire County Council’s Highways Department to try and identify possible alternatives for parking around the school site.
He said he will be able to provide funding so that Mouse Lane can be resurfaced where the road ends and the footpath to Chestnut Grove begins, which could incorporate safety barriers, and he has put in a request to get the cost identified.
He added: “This funding will make the route more accessible and safer, so more parents can walk their children to school from Franche Road.
“There are a couple of additional options to help ease the traffic on the Grove, and I am presently talking to people in the hope that these can be considered.
“Although they may not be the perfect answers, it may be a case of utilising any or some available options to spread the load.”
A meeting is set to be arranged with the residents of Chestnut Grove, the surrounding roads, and school representatives to discuss how the transition can be made as smooth as possible for all.
