A new parking arrangement linked to school run times is being introduced to reduce congestion and improve safety near the Magic Roundabout in Swindon.
The plan involves Drove Primary School and Swindon Town Football Club, allowing parents to use the club’s car park during drop-off and pick-up periods.
Green Party councillor Repi Begum said the surrounding area has long struggled with traffic linked to the school run.
“Drove Primary School is surrounded largely by residential roads,” she said. “You’ve got over two or three hundred children, and even if it’s a minority of parents driving, that’s still a lot of cars.”
She said nearby parking options quickly become overwhelmed.
“What’s been happening is that both the Merlin and Aldi car parks have been full, and then the extra streets, with yellow lines and give-way places, have been completely jam-packed. There’s no give way. It’s quite dangerous for children crossing, especially small ones and nursery children.”
Begum said enforcement alone has not resolved the problem.
“There have been things like parking wardens and more yellow lines, but when people need to go, they need to go, and it’s not really been effective.”
Discussions with the school led to the new approach, centred on the use of the football club’s car park at the County Ground.
“Miss Reynolds, one of the teachers at the school, and I have been working closely together to see what other solutions we can look at,” she said. “We’ve got this big car park here, which is relatively empty most of the time, so we approached Swindon Town Football Club.”
Under the proposal, parents will be able to park for short periods and walk the remaining distance to the school.
“Parking wise we’re talking about 20 to 25 minutes in the morning and 20 to 25 minutes in the afternoon,” she said. “It’s about five to seven minutes to walk with little children. It will free up spaces for residents and mean the roads are safer and not clogged up, including for emergency services.”
Special arrangements will be in place on matchdays, and the school will provide parents with further details.
“Teachers will come here to ensure safe and proper parking for the first three or four weeks,” Begum said. “I’ve also said I’ll come here myself at least three days a week to help.”
She said safety along the walking route has been considered.
“We’ve got safe crossings on County Road and near what used to be the post office,” she said. “At this stage, it’s accompanied by adults, and many parents already walk these routes. I walk my own children to that school daily.”
Cllr Begum also hopes the change will encourage more walking.
“We’re encouraging those that don’t walk to walk, for healthier reasons but also for safety reasons,” she said. “It allows residents to feel like it’s their road again. Fifteen extra cars parked on pavements with a knee-high child trying to cross is far more dangerous than holding hands and walking.”
She said her perspective as both a councillor and a parent has informed the scheme.
“It’s a bit of both,” she said. “I see the issues firsthand, and I’ve spoken to residents who deal with this every day. It’s something small, but it makes a big difference.”
For now, the focus is on monitoring how the system works.
“Let’s see how this goes,” Cllr Begum said. “If we can get more people walking, that’s better for parents, children, and health in the long run. Other measures can always be looked at later.”
Further information on how parents can use the car park will be shared directly by the school in the coming weeks.
