PARENTS are being asked not to park on the Spar car park in Wincham during the school run unless shopping there.

The call comes from Diane Palin, the head teacher at Wincham Community Primary School and Nursery in Church Street, Wincham.

The Spar in Linnards Lane has a car park in front of the shop, and is near a footpath leading to the school.

Parents parking on the car park while they drop their children off means the Friday morning delivery lorry to the Spar has to park on the road to unload.

Following a meeting between Mrs Palin and Spar shop manager Janet Bennett to discuss the parking issues Mrs Palin is asking parents not to park in the Spar car park at dropping off and collection times unless shopping in the Spar.

To enable deliveries to reverse down the side of the Spar on a Friday morning Mrs Bennett is to place cones on the car park to keep the access route free.

Mrs Bennett said she hoped parents would understand the move to keep the route clear with cones on a Friday, between 8.30am and 10am.

Parking was not currently a problem in respect of deliveries on the other mornings, she said, but could be reviewed if it became an issue.

“Car parking continues to be a huge problem for the school and the village community each day, from 8.45am to 9.10am and from 3pm to 3.40pm,” said Mrs Palin in the school’s newsletter.

“Please can I ask for your [parents’] co-operation to ensure that all car parks and road parking is done with consideration for our children, all pedestrians and for our residents.

“I met with the Spar shop manager, Mrs Bennett, to discuss a number of issues related to parents’ parking on the Spar car park at the start and end of the school day.

“Can I ask that you do not park on the Spar car park unless you are shopping in the shop at these times.

“The Spar will be placing cones on their car park to ensure their delivery vans are able to have the access they need to make their deliveries. Please could I ask for your co-operation in not parking near these cones.”

Mrs Palin is also asking parents to take care when parking following a collision in a car park.

“Please can I ask all parents to take care when parking in the school and community centre car parks and on Linnards Lane and Church Street,” she said.

“We must keep the children safe at all times, and in the past we have been concerned about the speed of cars around the village.

“More recently the dangers are closer to home, with parents driving in the car parks without due care and consideration for others. Please park considerately.”

She referred to a collision after school in the community centre car park.

She said: “We cannot ignore such reckless driving. Next time a child could be involved, and the consequences far more devastating.”