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I am deeply concerned about Luton Local Authority's decision to implement "Permit Holders Only" parking restrictions (Mon- Fri 8am-6pm) on Cutenhoe Hill Primary School and Nursery Road and surrounding roads covering a large parameter. Cutenhoe Rd itself is 1.2km long. 

As a parent with two young children attending the primary school here, this decision significantly impacts our safe accesibility of the school. 

Every school day, parents like myself face the challenge of finding a safe, legal and convenient place to park our cars when dropping off or picking up our children. The new blanket parking restrictions mean fewer available spaces for those of us who aren't residents but need to ensure our children's safe access to education. These measures seem to disregard the needs of the school community and appear to prioritise local residents without considering the broader implications for families who travel from different parts of Luton.

Moreover, the safety of our children is paramount. With these parking restrictions, parents are forced to park much further away, leading to longer walks for our children, often crossing busy narrow roads with steep inclines and lack of visibility due to cars parked on either side. This increases the risk of accidents, especially during peak school hours when traffic is already heavy and with at least 4 other other local schools parents sharing the same parking spaces and routes. Additionally, this could potentially discourage parents from driving their children to school, leading to absenteeism, impacting punctuality and affecting the children's learning.

There are several compelling factors that prevent parents from being able to walk their children to school. These include:

​Logistical constraints: Such as having commitments immediately following drop-off (e.g., work shifts) or needing to transport multiple children to different schools.
​Health and accessibility challenges: This applies to children with special needs or disabilities that make walking impractical, as well as parents who may have mobility issues themselves.

Residents were invited to the consultation however no contact was made with the school on the road and parents, completely disregarding our input despite the enormity of impact.

While I understand the need for parking arrangements in residential areas, the needs of the school community should not be overlooked. There are plausible solutions that can be explored to accommodate both residents and parents therefore we urge the Luton local authority to re-evaluate and amend the parking scheme.

Possible solutions include:

1. Allocating specific parking areas near school zones during school drop-off and pick-up times. This would ensure that children can safely get to and from school.
2. Considering a flexible permit arrangement that allows parents short periods to park legally during critical school hours rather than an outright restriction.

I urge the Luton Local Authority to reconsider their decision and explore alternative solutions. Let's work together to find an arrangement that addresses the concerns of both parents and local residents. Our primary goal should be the welfare and safety of all children attending these schools.

Please sign this petition to ask the Luton Local Authority to re-evaluate the "Permit Holders Only" parking restrictions and consider solutions that benefit the entire community, we are aiming for at least 100 signatures. 

Please also consider emailing Highways@Luton.gov.uk directly quoting reference F28149.

Thank you for your support.