Chief Constable, Norfolk Constabulary,
Operations & Communications Centre, Falconers Chase, Wymondham, Norfolk NR18 0WW
9 November 2003
Dear Chief Constable
I am writing to request your urgent assistance with enforcing waiting restrictions and general road safety in the vicinity of our Hillside Avenue Primary School.
The Hillside School and Community Travel Group is a partnership of school governors, staff, parents, County Council, local residents, parish councillors, PCT and others who have worked hard over the past three years to encourage safer and healthier journeys to school. Our surveys show that we are making an impact. More children now walk and cycle to Hillside school and there are fewer motor vehicles on the roads outside the school. Indeed, we have won national and local awards for our efforts.
However, traffic congestion and illegal or inconsiderate parking remains a problem. In January this year Inspector Davidson provided the school with traffic cones and wrote to all parents and residents. This stated that “Officers will be monitoring the problems at the school and anyone found committing parking offences or moving the cones will be liable to be dealt with by way of fixed penalty notice or summons.” (His emphasis.) Local residents put out the cones each day until July and the situation was better but Police or traffic warden enforcement was minimal and problems continued.
In July, yellow lines were painted on Hillside Avenue and School Avenue. We were told that the Police would be able to enforce these more easily. I am sorry to say that, apart from one or two visits by traffic wardens there appears to have been virtually no enforcement and inevitably some parents are ignoring the waiting restrictions. This causes safety hazards, particularly for child pedestrians and cyclists. It also causes cynicism and resentment and risks bringing all our efforts into disrepute. Local residents in particular feel very let down.
I urge you to ensure that traffic wardens or police officers are visible on Hillside Avenue or School Avenue during school arrival or departure times at least once every couple of weeks. Issuing one or two parking tickets would soon concentrate minds. It would also be helpful if you would agree to follow up the information that we have offered to provide about persistent offenders. Even if you cannot prosecute, a warning letter would be very valuable. In our recent poll of parents and residents, 62% were in favour of “naming and shaming” persistent offenders.
I fully recognise that the Police have other priorities, often more important than localised traffic issues. However, I do feel that we are entitled to more support than we have had, not least because we were promised this in Inspector Davidson’s letter and we and the County Council have kept our side of the bargain.
Yours sincerely
David Davies
Chair, Hillside School & Community Travel Group.