Rushden’s Alfred Lord Tennyson School has two campuses. One of them is in Rushden’s town centre.
The main entrance to the town centre site is at the end of John Street, a cul-de-sac. It has double yellow lines, and the only safe place to stop is in the adjacent car park. (See attached photograph.)
For most primary schools, many parents take their children to the school and make sure that they enter the school safely.
This is especially important at the Alfred Street site, as most of its pupils have to cross several major roads to reach the school.
As a consequence, many parents take their children to the Alfred Street site by car. They drive into the John Street car park and escort their children from the car to the school gate. They then drive off.
The whole area around the school has double yellow lines and parents are therefore unable to park outside the car park to deliver their children.
The parents will be forced to make a choice if parking charges are introduced:
* Park some distance away and walk with their children across several major roads, or
* Stop on a double yellow line and walk from their car to the school ot
* Pay £10 per week for the right to drop off the children from within the car park.
None of the options is attractive.
Many parents are on very tight incomes and could not afford to pay the £10 per week.
Long term, it may make parents less inclined to have their children attend this school. In future years, this may affect the viability of the school.
Teachers are similarly affected as they normally park in this car park all day and would be subject to £20 a week in charges.
