A resident has raised ‘serious’ safety concerns about congestion in the King George V Playing Fields car park, which is also used by River Mead Primary School.
The resident, Davina, described the car park as ‘an accident waiting to happen’ and said it becomes ‘gridlocked,’ particularly during afternoon school pick-up times.
“There are cars double parked and drivers become angry and aggressive towards other car users and there has also been an instance where a teacher has also been knocked into by a driver,” she said.
“The car park is that bad that if there was a need for a fire engine or ambulance, they simply would not be able to get in. There have been plenty of near misses and close calls with cars and vans – it is a tight bend at the bottom of the car park near to the school and parents park up along the already parked cars.
“It is a serious concern that a child will end up being hurt as a result of this issue,” Davina said.
The car park is owned by Fields in Trust and leased to Melksham Town Council for the users of the King George V Playing Fields. Fields in Trust, a UK-wide charity founded in 1925, protects parks and green spaces for future generations by securing legal commitments with landowners to keep them accessible for recreation and community use.
Melksham Town Councillor Adrienne Westbrook said that only ‘a few’ spaces should be used by the school, but the entire car park is being congested with school traffic. She added that the town council is engaging with the school to find a solution.
A spokesperson for River Mead Primary School said, “We are proud to be a primary school at the heart of our community and appreciate the shared use of the car park next to King George V Playground. We are aware that, at busy times, there can be congestion, and we continue to work closely with the local council to ensure that the area remains safe and accessible for everyone.
“We are grateful for the cooperation of our school community and our staff in making drop-off and pick-up times as smooth and safe as possible and we will continue to work with the council and local residents to support a positive shared use of the space.”
