A COUNCILLOR has called for further action to be taken to clamp down on bad school-run parking outside a primary school in Kirby Cross.

Tendring First councillor Robert Bucke, who represents Holland and Kirby, said he was forced to drive across a garden in Halstead Road, last Wednesday afternoon due to problem parking.

Kirby Residents’ Association previously said parents are putting youngsters at risk and called for cones to be put out to stop rogue parking on the busy road.

It said “indiscriminate” parking is holding up buses and blocks the path of emergency vehicles.

Tendring Council held round-table talks in a bid to tackle parking issues outside the school earlier this year, but Mr Bucke has written to the authority called for further enforcement action.

The former town mayor said: “I was forced with one other car to drive into the front garden of a dwelling at a narrow point in Halstead Road, where a long line of parked parents cars was being overtaken by a bus and line of cars travelling towards Kirby-le-Soken.

“The alternative would have been for myself and cars behind me to reverse towards what is a blind corner.

“This experience merely illustrates the known problems of school parental parking which is causing so much grief and risk to local residents, children, drivers, commercial vehicles, public transport, farm vehicles and emergency services.

“Days, weeks and months go by without any action by any local authority, other than to permit the building of 200 dwellings being serviced from Halstead Road for the next few years.

“This is appalling and to do nothing is no longer an option if lives and livelihoods are to be preserved.

“How many councils and cabinet members do we need to resolve this one of so many such issues around schools, and Halstead Road in particular?”

Parking enforcement officers have already carried out patrols at the spot in recent months and notices were put on cars and drivers were spoken to in an effort to change bad habits, including parking on zig-zag lines and across pavements and driveways.

Council enforcement boss Fred Nicholls previously said there is no simple overnight solution and the council has been working with the North Essex Parking Partnership to tackle parking problems outside a number of schools in the district.

The school has said it is encouraging cycling and car sharing to keep the road outside the school clear and that senior staff are on duty on the roadside every day.

In response to an email from Mr Bucke, Ian Taylor, of Tendring Council, said: “For the most part parents are parking perfectly legally in pursuit of what is a reasonable act – collecting their children from school.

“The school is where it is and they have a perfect right to collect and drop off their children and in many cases have no choice but to do so by car due to the considerable distance they live from the school.

“If they obstruct driveways to the annoyance of residents that is a police matter and the North Essex Parking Partnership or their own conscience and has nothing to do with Tendring Council at all.

“Our only role in terms of parking enforcement is to assist when requested by the highway authority and its contractor for on-street parking enforcement.”