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school traffic in lark rise - kara (16th Sep 2010 - 19:59:39) On wednesday an ambulance tried to reach a disabled lady in lark rise off of the avenue, it was unable to get into the road let alone reach her house due to the volume of school parents parked in this side road.When is this madness going to end.I would like to see the school save up the funds raised by the parents groups and sort out some parking facilities surely they cant spend any more money on play equipment in the playground there is no room left at the infant school for the children to run around.

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Marian (17th Sep 2010 - 10:15:52) I do so agree. Some parents are parked at 2.45pm in the afternoons in order grab a parking place. The roads are becoming hopelessly congested mornings and afternoons in the vicinity of the schools. To add fuel to the fire once again - why aren't more children walking to school? The exercise would surely benefit both the children and their parents.

Re: school traffic in lark rise - irene (17th Sep 2010 - 12:36:52) still the same old moan my drive is often blocked and when i try to find the owner of th e car nobody seems to know whose it is when they finally return they are just so rude as if it is my fault for wanting to go out

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Deadly (17th Sep 2010 - 18:53:21) Just block them in Irene, they'll soon stop! My wife walks our son in most weathers all the way from up by Stonehouse Road, yet she regularly sees parents driving their child to school who live within a 10min walk of the school. Some people are just plain lazy I'm afraid

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Paul Robinson (18th Sep 2010 - 08:38:55) Apologies to regular readers of this thread but every time the subject of school parking in The Avenue comes up, which is at least once a year, I make the following suggestion. There is an area of brambles and scrub surrounding a row of silver birch trees which are now at the extent of their growth and will soon start to decay and begin to topple over. Apart from its use as an alternative litter bin this hedge serves no concievable use and, in my opinion, should be cleared out and the space used as a pick up and set down lane similar to that used at the front of Bohunt. Entry would be one way at the Headley Road end and the exit would be lower down at the Lowsley Park end. The road parallel should have double yellow lines to prevent those parents incapable of coping with change continuing to park in the road and The Avenue should once again revert to the 'rat run' that it has become by those wishing to avoid going through the Square. Nuff said! Paul Robinson.

Re: school traffic in lark rise - kara (18th Sep 2010 - 22:09:19) I have also had that same idea.Great minds must think alike.If only the local authority and the schools would consider the idea ,they are quick to take money from developers perhaps they could look at spending some of it.This problem is not going to go away.

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Mr & Mrs Ellis (20th Sep 2010 - 23:00:51) The idea of using the waste piece of ground with silver birch trees as a dropping off point for the schools is not a new one. In 2004/5 we wrote to East Hants District Council suggesting just that and also to put a footpath from the Avenue across to the school so that not all the cars went down Avenue Close. There was also a big meeting in the Junior school attended by Parish & County Councillors and a full room of parents about the problem in the Avenue & Avenue Close and there was a unanimous vote for the drop off point as suggested but we were told it was not government policy to use schools open space for parking and they could not put a footpath in so the meeting was a complete waste of time although they did put the footpath in I think it was last year claiming it was their idea. I still have all the paper work about it if you feel like taking the Council on again. Every September we have this problem brought up but by spring term it seems to all settle down. Mr & Mrs Ellis 21 The Avenue

Re: school traffic in lark rise - jo herridge (23rd Sep 2010 - 21:06:45) This is always going to be a problem. I witnessed an incident earlier this week in the avenue where a car mounted the pavement and narrowly missed a woman walking on the pavement. She banged on the rear of the car to bring to the drivers attention that she was there. This could have been more serious but its only a matter of time

Re: school traffic in lark rise - k (24th Sep 2010 - 20:04:03) the traffic is a nightmare down the school iv seen one woman hoe lives opposite the avenue drive her child to school the church down the headly road even offerd parking to try and release the conjestion and cars mounting the pavement is a regular occurance aswell as cars not stopping at the zebra crossing :(

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Janet A (26th Sep 2010 - 23:43:15) Parking during school drop-off and pick-up times should be strictly by permit only and permits only be issued to parents who live more than 1 mile away from the school. The schools could adopt a staggered day, with 3 start and finish times, half an hour apart. The surrounding streets (it would have to be decided which) could be patroled by a warden at drop-off and pick up times and parking violation tickets issued to any cars parked without a permit.

Re: school traffic in lark rise - marian (27th Sep 2010 - 09:09:59) What good idea the parking permits are - and perhaps a termly charge could be made for those permits. Perhaps that would then separate those who could quite easily walk to school. The money from these permits could then go towards paying the patrol warden. He would have to cover Tower Road - and the Co-op car park as well as roads leading off The Avenue.

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Paul Robinson (27th Sep 2010 - 09:36:30) Whilst I applaud Janet A's thoughtful approach to the congestion in The Avenue and Longmoor Road at school drop off and pick up times, there are problems associated with her suggestions. The one mile radius embargo would not suit the working parents who drop off on their way to work elsewhere and the staggered start times would have little impact on those mums who pitch up from about 2.30 pm in order to snatch a little quality time with a book or others who use it as an opportunity to exchange essential social intelligence (gossip) amongst each other. Paul Robinson

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Sylvia (28th Sep 2010 - 18:50:35) Would it help if The Avenue was made one way between certain times? We do have traffic parking problems in Lark Rise at school times but many residents don't use their vehicles especially as so many parents park for over half and hour and then stand by their cars and chat for even longer!

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Jane G (28th Sep 2010 - 20:40:52) I've recently moved away from The Avenue and often thought that a one way system at certain times of the day would be a really good idea. The biggest bottle neck is between Lark Rise and down towards the Headley Road mostly caused by some really bad parking! I know they used to (maybe still do) have a voluntary one way system for the Holme School in Headley. Difficult to put into practise though particularly for residents who just want to get out of the road :-)

Re: school traffic in lark rise - gr (28th Sep 2010 - 20:50:02) Why not turn part of the playing field into a carpark for the infant and junior school ? The side by the avenue could accomodate lots of cars ? WALK TO SCHOOL LIKE WE USED TO DO

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Nick Hancock (7th Oct 2010 - 21:24:19) I don't think any of the contributors to this post would believe just how much time and effort has been spent at the schools trying to find a solution to this issue, which is one over which ultimately they have no control. The bottom line is that parents can't even find the time now to let their children leave home enough to walk to school - quite apart from all the safety concerns, justified or otherwise. As a neighbour in the layby on Longmoor Road whose drive is regularly blocked I share your frustration. Most if not all of the suggestions canvassed here have been considered - but time and again the answer was that nothing would be done which could make it easier for parents to drive their children to school. There are alternatives now. The crossings on Longmoor Road have been upgraded and there are safe walking routes along Victoria Way. Do all you can to encourage people to use them!

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Jan J (8th Oct 2010 - 15:06:39) My son used to attend Liphook infant and junior schools, thirty years ago, we had te same problems then with parking, at that time i was unable to drive, until my son was seven, once i had past my test, my neighbour,and i used to take it in turns to take the children to school in the car if the weather was bad, if the weather was good then we used to walk them there. As you see this is an age old problem, i wish you well in trying to resolve this.

Re: school traffic in lark rise - jessica (10th Oct 2010 - 13:11:58) I used to walk to school 30 years ago from down the bottom end of the Haslemere road and both my children walk to school now. Nowhere in Liphook is unaccessible to walk to school they will just have to be more organised in the morning. Regarding the people outside of Liphook excluding Passfield why can't they go to school in their area. If people were restricted like they used to be we would not be having all these extra cars coming into Liphook. What is wrong with the schools in Bordon? They do have three primary schools they can't possibly be all full up!

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Jay (13th Oct 2010 - 21:47:52) The cars that park in Avenue Close are a nightmare - they are more concerned about finding a space or getting back out and on their way again than watching out for the children that do walk to school. As for the idiots that mount the pavement in The Avenue heading back to the Headley Road - do they have x-ray vision? Can they really see round that corner and through that vastly overgrown laurel hedge (complete with brambles waiting to scratch an unsuspecting face) to see the small child on the pavement? A little more consideration and patience is required. And if you know anyone in that little private road that runs alongside the Headley Road end of The Avenue, PLEASE would you ask them if they could spare some time to cut back their hedges (rather than just trim) so that we can walk more than single file on the pavement? They only trim back as far as the grassy area at the bottom but as this has encroached on the pavement over the years, it only helps for a few months. Thanks!

Re: school traffic in lark rise - J (19th Oct 2010 - 11:33:33) We live in The Avenue and every morning I have to drive my child to school in Greatham - long story, she only has a year left until she will go to Bohunt and so will walk. But I struggle to get out of my drive every morning because of cars parked opposite and on the return journey has been made even more ridiculous than it was due to the bus that insists on coming down The Avenue in the middle of the school run, whats that about?? I believe it's countrywide......anyone know who I can speak to about that?

Re: school traffic in lark rise - rita whitlock (19th Oct 2010 - 21:21:33) I am quite amazed by the amount of school children that are brought to school by there parants who actually live in liphook and cant manage to walk to school. There is the cut through from manor feilds past sainsburys and through fletchers feild that is safe for people to walk or cycle! i do appreciate that there are alot of working parants who may not have time to walk. I lived at the bottom end of haslemere road as a child and walked every single day rain or shine! I think that the schools should think about a mini bus to take children to and from school, that might help ease some of the congestion, or the parants could all take it in turns to do the school run.

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Nic (22nd Oct 2010 - 09:20:46) We live 4 miles from liphook where there is no bus route so the only option for us is to take our children to school by car. This morning we were driving up The Avenue toward Headley Road, vehicles coming down The Avenue were on our side of the road, as usual Parents were parked along the Avenue. We had cars behind us and we were given the shaking fist by oncoming traffic (which was on our side of the road) because we refused to mount the pavement to let them through. The car behind us even tried to squeeze past us on the pavement! I'm sorry but under no circumstances will I be forced to drive on a pavement near a school. I feel if the Avenue had residents only parking then this would ease the congestion caused by those Parents who park there. The road would be free, two way instead of the one way that it basically is and has been for years. The traffic wouldnt back up onto the Headley Road in both directions and vehicles travelling along the Headley road wouldnt try to over take sitting traffic trying to turn into the Avenue. The amount of times I have witnessed near misses because of this! Residents would obviously object at having to have permits to park outside their own homes but I feel it would ease a lot of the issues.Then there is the funding to enforce such a thing ,given the spending review I doubt any such scheme would be adopted so until then I shall continue to refuse to drive on pavements and if that means I have to sit there and wait until the parents move their vehicles from the Avenue after dropping their children off, causing a back log of traffic so be it.

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Nic (22nd Oct 2010 - 09:28:56) To add to previous post; I think buses should be encouraged to use the Avenue. A regular service would encourage parents,pupils to use it as a means to get to school safely. Why should public transport have to suffer because of the parking and access problems in and around the schools.It would not be fair on the elderly residents nor the people who rely on public transport.

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Nick Hancock (29th Oct 2010 - 17:17:51) Stop press - I've just spotted the notice of planning application for a "Puffin" crossing in Longmoor Road just above Bohunt. (Google it - it's an updated Pelican of course.) With this in place there will be a child-safe walking route via Victoria Way all they way from the Church Centre car park (which has, I believe, been designated for this purpose - no doubt the schools can confirm). Then all parents will need to do is to get out of the house in time for their children to walk from the car park to the school. That's got to be easier than slugging it out in the Avenue with everyone else! Wikipedia entry for Puffin Crossing

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Jay (3rd Nov 2010 - 22:45:29) Good for you Nic, not driving on the pavements - from a walking parent! As for parking in the Church Centre? I think it was said in a previous thread, parking was offered at the Catholic Church and wasn't fully taken up. It's probably the same distance to the Infant and Junior Schools from there as from the Church Centre via the walk throughs isn't it? I don't hold out much hope.

Re: school traffic in lark rise - Commoner (13th Dec 2010 - 12:09:24) With the Parish Plan about to be arranged this needs to be one item to be put on the agenda, so we can sort out the old chesnut once and foreall. Can someone do this and report it to the appropriate working group of the Parish Plan. See their website www.liphookplan.co.uk

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