Below is a briefing from Pentland Primary School Parent Council (PPC) about parking around the school. 

 

We want ALL our children to be safe going to school.
It has been brought to the attention of the school and PPC that people (Both Parents/Carers and residents) are parking in an unsafe and inconsiderate manner at drop off and pick up times of the school day.  This has been happening at all sides of the school and the school is taking phones calls from residents of the area as well as other parents also complaining to the ‘PPC’ and ‘The City of Edinburgh Council’.

While it is understood that some families need to bring the cars to school for onward journeys after dropping off or for the distance they have to travel within the catchment area, we (as parents) need to take responsibility for keeping all the children safe at such a busy time of the day.  

The following covers each side of the school individually.  Complaints have been made from various sources at all sides of the school area.

It should be noted that the school cannot take responsibility for this situation as it is not on the premises (apart from those who use the car park) and as such anything that follows on is in the hands of the City of Edinburgh Council and the police/traffic warden.  Please avoid contacting the school office if you have any issues on this subject as they do not have the time to field phone calls on this.

1. ·       Don’t park on Single or Double yellow lines
2. ·       Don’t park on pavements
3. ·       Don’t park over driveways
4. ·       Don’t speed

Oxgangs Bank
Recently, the parking warden attended the Broadway shops side of the school and ticketed 3 vehicles in the morning and 1 in the afternoon.  There is signage along the short stretch beside the grass that indicates there is no stopping at certain times of the day.  

There has also been reports of vehicles parking on the grass on the opposite side of the corner under the tree.  This is NOT a parking area; the residents have complained directly to the school regarding this.

There has been a report made to the PPC of a parent in a heated discussion with a resident on Oxgangs bank going up the hill for parking over the driveway.  Can people please be aware that it is illegal to park a vehicle over a dropped kerb driveway.  The resident can complain to the police and it does carry a fine.  Please park considerately if you do park on this stretch of road.

There has also been a complaint made to the school for people parking in the care home/private resident’s car parking spaces.  These are private spaces not to be used by parents.  It’s the same for the ‘Stevenson Reeves’ building, these are private property for the business.

Can everyone please be considerate when parking in the area.  We can park in the spaces beside the Broadway shops, behind the Broadway shops and in the ALDI car park.  If you are parking close to the school, please do so safely and do not block footpaths or driveways.  Parents have been saying that they feel unsafe at time when walking the children to school as they cannot see cars moving around and they are having to cross the road through tight gaps between the parked cars.  Oxgangs view now has double yellow lines on one side, please do not park on these.

It has also been spotted that certain vehicles are speeding on this stretch of road with no regard appearing to be made to the children or the speed bumps.  Can we please watch our speed in the area for the safety of the children who have to cross the road.

In the image below (Broadway side), the highlighted areas show where we should and should not be parking.  The Yellow boxes are to highlight areas where there are restrictions but do have safe areas to park.

Nursery Side
The image below shows area where it safe to park, as long as it is carried out in a considerate way to the residents and other parents.  

 

Sadly, there has been a report of someone parking here and having their car scraped by another who left the area without passing on insurance details.  

Please, again, be considerate of everyone else.

Oxgangs Green
On this side of the school, the residents of the area have been complaining about vehicles being parked up on the pavements narrowing the road into the school car park and making it dangerous for pedestrians, blocking driveways (which, as mentioned before is illegal) and coming into the school car park itself to drop children off.  

This is an access road into the school that is required by staff to enter the premises, and also if the emergency services required to attend at that side of the school.  This area should NOT be blocked or used by parents for parking at any time due to those reasons.  It is wholly inconsiderate to everyone to do so in the areas in the red boxes in the image below.  

In the green area, please park considerately for the neighbours and safely for the children.

If you have any further issue with this subject could you please contact the PPC at the email address ppcchair1@gmail.com or our Edinburgh Council representative Councillor Scott Arthur at Scott.Arthur@edinburgh.gov.uk and if you wish to further discuss in the long term then please come along to the next PPC meeting and solutions and the way forward can be set out.