Nottinghamshire residents have shared what its like to live on a "busy" street you can't leave in peak times. The Banks is a residential street in Bingham that residents say has a constant stream of traffic, and during peak times they can't leave their homes. The road leading to the main entrance to the school is located off the residential street.
Many residents say that the road is used as a cut through, but at school times it is almost impossible for them to leave their homes due to the traffic to and from Toot Hill Academy and its sixth form college. The school has almost 2,000 pupils, as well as members of staff and teachers coming to the site for training.
Retired resident, Phil Drabble, 69, said: "It's not so much an issue with the parking as the residents have the right to park their cars there and so do the people over the way and the people here without drives. The problem is the volume of traffic that comes down this road, it's used as a rat run.
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"This is a country lane that is being used as a main road. The real problem is parents dropping their kids off in the morning and picking them up again in the afternoon.
"So what happens if we want to get out of our drive at 8.30am is that we and the other people who live here can't because it's just packed with cars. A lot of the kids could walk to school but the parents choose to drive them, and it's not the fault of the school, the school doesn't like the situation either."
He added: "We suppose the best thing would be to make it one way or they should reduce the speed limit to 20mph. Some people will come down here at 30mph which is too quick, but we have people come down here on motorcycles at 50mph.
"The main issue is the volume of traffic coming down at certain times and the danger that presents."
Retired Sue Robinson, 64, explained that she also thought making the road one way would be a good idea. She said: "I think we should have bollards down there. Also now the town is getting bigger people tend to park here and walk down as the car park in town gets quite full."
A retired man in his 70s, who did not wish to be named, said: "I have to plan my times going out or coming in. I can't go out between 7.30 and 8:.30 in the morning and I can't come back between 3pm and 4pm.
"Nobody takes into account that someone might want to go somewhere that isn't the school like your own drive. I can sit there for ages and does make it more difficult, and I'm not the only resident that feels so."
Speaking of the quick traffic and number of parked cars on the road, IT consultant Jenny Craig, 62, said: "It's always been this way. There may be more staff and pupils with their own cars now I suppose, but we have thought that maybe the parked cars slow the traffic down.
"I would be happy if it did go down to a 20mph. My husband and I have spoken about what it would be like if it had one end blocked off as I do wonder whether it is used as a cut through. If it was blocked off then people would only come down here if they need to."
Speaking about the problems residents are experiencing, a spokesperson from Toot Hill School said: "Toot Hill School understands the frustrations of the local residents. We are in regular contact with parents, staff and sixth form students, advising them to be respectful when parking.
"We have worked with Nottinghamshire County Council to provide guidance to alleviate congestion on The Banks. The school are currently in the planning stages of a rebuild which will include additional parking. This will help the current situation with parking around the school.”
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