HIGHWAYS chiefs are to be asked for ideas to solve parking problems on a busy road outside a village school where parents are accused of causing chaos.

HIGHWAYS chiefs are to be asked for ideas to solve parking problems on a busy road outside a village school where parents are accused of causing chaos.

Parish councillors at Trimley St Mary have reached the end of their tether and decided the time has come for tough action to remove the traffic danger.

They say it has "gone beyond a joke" and suggested £40 fines or yellow lines should be used to stop the illegal parking on crossing zig-zags, blocking driveways and narrowing the High Road to one lane at peak-times.

Councillor Bryan Frost carried out a survey outside the school but said the situation had improved only slightly, despite the council's threats of action and pleas from the head teacher Richard Griffiths for parents not to park.

At 3.15pm on the days of the car counts, there had been an average of 45 vehicles parked outside the school compared with 47 before the council had highlighted the problems.

"There was no real improvement because the situation was still confusing and chaotic," said Mr Frost.

"I would say that yellow lines would be the answer but these would need to operate only at the times of the day when we have the problem – in the morning when children are being dropped off and at end the of the school day when they are being collected."

Other councillors expressed concern that yellow lines would simply move the parking problems further along High Road, or increase problems in Faulkeners Way at the rear of the school.

Parents would park at the point where the yellow lines began and then walk the children to the school from there.

Another possibility was yellow lines on one side of the road to restrict parking and allow traffic to move more easily though the area.

Mr Frost said the council must not be feeble over the issue and it may be possible to persuade people to walk all the way from home to school if the lines were put in at the correct distances to discourage driving, parking and walking.

"I don't accept that this problem is insurmountable and I think we should be taking some action," he said.

The council agreed to write to Suffolk County Council to seek suggestions for a solution and costs of possible action.

Trimley community police officer Pc Jim Kerr said yellow lines would move the problem, but officers were attending the school regularly to monitor the situation and had spoken to parents and residents.

n What do you think of the parking outside Trimley St Mary Primary School? How can parents be persuaded to walk their children to school? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk