Parents worry about school run chaos

Ted Peskett Local Democracy Reporter

Parents whose children go to their local school are worried about traffic chaos during the school run after plans emerged to build new homes.

The application for four homes on the site to the rear of Plas Cleddau and Cwm Talwg in Barry would take away the land there which is commonly used by parents picking up and dropping off their children at All Saints Church in Wales School.

Timing

Vale of Glamorgan Council stressed that no decision has been made on the application yet, but any views on it, including those relating to traffic implications, will be considered.

However, one parent who we spoke with is unhappy that the opportunity to comment on the plans is taking place during the school holiday period when some parents might not see any notices.

Louis Ross said: “If they take away this parking for the sake of four dwellings then there is going to be no parking outside of the school and there is going to be no safe place to park because there are going to be hundreds of cars and they are going to be parked on main roads, in side streets and it is going to be chaotic.

“This has the potential for accidents.

“It is just going to be a nightmare trying to take your children to school during the school runs.”

The plans for the homes show that the private parking area for Cwm Talwg will not be affected and neither will the parking just behind the nearby shops.

Louis said many parents drive their children to All Saints as it is a school based on values and a lot of the people who go there are not in the catchment area.

Severn Avenue is one road that’s nearby, but Louis said this would be too busy and dangerous for parents to park along.

On the consultation process he added: “Everyone is on holiday. No one is in the schools, how are people going to make an objection if they can’t see the notices?”

“Poor contribution”

A design an access statement on the plans argues that the current site makes a “very poor contribution to the overall character of the area” and goes on to say that redeveloping it offers an opportunity to provide “much needed housing”.

The developers also said that building on the site will prevent it from becoming a target for anti-social behaviour.

A Vale if Glamorgan Council spokesperson said: “No decision has yet been made on this application and all views, including those relating to traffic implications, will be considered as part of the process.

“However, it should be noted that this is privately owned land and the Council is not aware of any formal arrangements for it to be used as a school pick up or drop off point.”