I have been contacted by parents of children at St Joseph's RC primary school in Blackhall Colliery about the persistent problem of parking and traffic in the streets around the school.
Obviously the problem is worse at key times of the day and during these periods parents and visitors to the school are encouraged to park at the nearby St Joseph's church or at the community centre car park and walk their children to school.
For some reason there is a reluctance to do this and the problem of increased traffic and parking in the immediate vicinity continues. Perhaps this relates to access issues in and around the existing parking facilities, or perhaps there are other factors at play.
Initially I intend to find out why parents and visitors are not inclined to park at facilities nearby. I will then arrange a meeting with highway officers from county hall, along with parents and school staff so that we can explore all options and agree a safe and suitable solution.