New calls forcrackdown onschool parking

There have been long-standing concerns about safety on Bowl Alley Lane which is the site of Horncastle Primary School and St Lawrence School.

Police say they and County Council Enforcement Officers are patrolling the area.

However, the News can reveal no tickets have been issued in the last month.

Concerns about safety came to a head again at this month’s town council meeting when resident Richard Barker revealed someone had been injured.

Mr Barker revealed an individual had been ‘hit by a car wing mirror’ and attended hospital with what he believed was either a ‘broken arm, or broken shoulder’.

He urged the town council to press for action to be taken amid fears of an even more serious incident.

Mayor Coun Brian Burbidge defended the town council against allegations it was not doing enough to solve the parking issues.

Resident Richard Barker told councillors they should be be more reactive.

Coun Burbidge stressed this month’s town council meeting was the ‘first time’ councillors had been made aware of the recent incident.

He said: “We share all the concerns but how can we react to something we don’t know anything about? If people tell us, we do listen and we do react.”

Mr Barker acknowledged yellow lines had been introduced, along with other restrictions at certain times of the day.

However, he questioned whether police and enforcement officers were taking strong enough action.

Mr Barker said: “There is obviously a serious problem there, and it needs resolving.”

PCSO Nigel Wass told councillors that police and enforcement officers did patrol Bowl Alley Lane.

However, he admitted it would be ‘interesting to know’ how many tickets had been issued by the enforcement team.

He also confirmed PCSOs would have more power to deal with parking issues following changes in force policy.

PCSO Wass said police were aware of the recent incident, but did not take any further action because it had not been officially reported to them.

He told councillors: “It’s something the school has in hand, but we were not made aware of it.”

PCSO Wass stressed enforcement action was ‘work in progress.’

He said he would raise the issue of parking on his next visit to the schools.

Councillors agreed to raise the issues with the county council at any future meetings.

•A county council spokesman confirmed no tickets had been issued in the last month.

He said that apart from a relatively short stretch of single yellow lines at the start of the road, there aren’t any parking restrictions that ‘can be enforced’.