Solutions for Hatfield school’s problems

SOLUTIONS to help parking issues outside a school were discussed at a public meeting.

A one-way system, a walking bus that travels around north Hatfield, staggering drop-off and collection times, as well as using local companies’ car parks, were all suggestions made to help the situation at Howe Dell School.

Wednesday’s meeting at the school, in The Runway, Hatfield, was attended by 20 parents, residents and staff.

It centred on current problems with clampers targeting mums and even staff members in nearby roads, traffic, and the safety of pupils as they are dropped off and picked up.

Headteacher Debra Massey, who chaired the meeting, said: “At every school there are parking issues around it.

“Rome was not built in a day, we are just looking for suggestions to help. There’s no point going back to the past.”

One idea put forward included extending the non-clamping zone around the school, which has around 500 visitors a day.

Other suggestions were closing the car park to the public, running a shuttle bus from The Airfield pub, where the walking bus currently starts from, and using a badge scheme where drivers would be given red, amber and green cards depending on how far away from the school they lived.

Peter Ball, who runs the de Havilland Residents Association website, said he believed poor planning had caused the issues.

“The planners say the job is done – it’s built, but they don’t accept the design for the school hasn’t been done very well.”

Mrs Massey added the meeting was very positive, with ideas that could be experimented with.