Thoughtless parents cause extreme hazard

Date published: 17/10/2006

Prospective Conservative Local Election Candidate Philip Grantham of Muriel Street has expressed sympathy for residents living close to Rochdale Infirmary having car parking problems. His sympathy emanates from his own experience as a resident of Muriel Street for the past fifteen years.

Muriel Street is a cul-de-sac with St Peter's Primary School at the end. Over the years the school has grown in size with an increase in the number of staff and classroom assistants. However, the size of the car park hasn’t grown sufficiently, which means that Muriel Street has become an overspill to the school car park.

Mr Grantham says: "I live on Muriel Street and for the past 15 years we have been complaining about the traffic problems.

"Muriel Street is extremely hazardous for children leaving school as thoughtless parents park on pavements when picking up their children forcing the children to walk in a congested road. At busy times vehicles are reversing the full length of the street because there is no place to turn, and some idiots have taken to driving down the grass verge to try and jump the queues.

"We have lost count of the times that we have contacted the authorities about the problem, this includes the police, councillors and the Highways department, each one of them says it is someone else’s responsibility.

"When a child gets seriously injured I suspect that each of these authorities will still deny any responsibility."

Mr Grantham is sceptical that residents living close to the Infirmary will get any solution soon, he said: "I know how sterile the enforcement and planning authorities become when real problems arise."