A SCHOOL has closed its car park in a bid to protect pupils and encourage more people to walk.

At Liskeard Hillfort Primary School, parking has been a contentious subject for parents as well as nearby residents.

The car park, as well as the road approaching the school, have become congested, and drivers have been parking on the ‘keep clear’ markings.

In recent months there have been ‘arguments, shunts, damage to posts and an incident where a car mounted the kerb at speed’, says headteacher Dr Tim Cook.

The school has tried taking various forms of action to improve the situation but the impact of these has been ‘minimal’ says the head, who says he has ‘exhausted every other option he can think of in terms of easing congestion’.

The car park has now been declared out of bounds for parents between 8.30am and 4pm.

Blue badge drivers can still use the facility and the approach to the new rule is ‘flexible’, says Dr Cook.

This week, the head, along with the caretaker and local Police Tri Service officer, have been on the gate to advise parents and monitor the new regime.

Dr Cook described the reaction from parents as ‘very calm so far’.

He said he was delighted at the take-up of a new Park and Stride scheme, which allows families to park at Westbourne Car Park and walk the less than half a mile to the primary school.

The permits enable free parking for an hour at the beginning and end of the school day.

‘We have now given out 23 of the 25 passes and I have asked for some more, as they are going like the proverbial hot cakes,’ said Dr Cook.

A walking bus for youngsters going to and from Hillfort is also set to start very soon, he said, adding that he hoped that these measures, together with shutting the car park, would encourage more people to go on foot.

The school currently has 380 pupils on roll with a maximum of 420, and the head says he wants to ‘avoid a log jam of traffic’ in the residential street outside, as well as keep children safe.

‘Our first priority is the safety of the pupils at the school – faced with the very real prospect of a child or parent getting hurt, this was a decision we came to very reluctantly,’ said the head.

‘We’re hoping that with the park and stride vouchers, it can only be good for reducing traffic and pollution – and it may also enable parents to visit the local shops.’