Parents hit out at '˜idiotic scheduling' of roadworks

The re-laying of pavements on Norfolk Road, Lytham by Lancashire County Council is set to last four weeks, during which no parking is allowed on either side.

As the road runs between two primary schools ­ Lytham CE and St Peter’s RC – and also leads to Talbot Road, when St Bede’s RC High School is situated, parents predicted chaos at drop-off and pick-up times when plans for the work were first revealed last week.

After a storm of protest, the County Council said it would look at rescheduling the work for next year – possibly the February half term break – but workmen arrived on Sunday to lay bollards and the work started on Monday.

The County Council now claims the state of the footway is too potentially hazardous for the work to be postponed – but hopes that scheduling the actual work for between 9.30am and 3.30pm will help minimise disruption.

One parent, Kurt Czarnota, said the works has made him 30 minutes late for work.

“I had to park 15 minutes’ walk away from school with a six- and a four-year-old. I am disgusted and outraged at the sheer idiotic scheduling of this work.”

Another parent, Aileen Ames, said: “As if only finding out about the plans for this work last Wednesday wasn’t bad enough, the reassurance of a postponement was quickly followed by the work then starting.

“It’s a very busy road and there is really is potential for chaos. I can’t believe it’s happening in school time.”

St Peter’s headteacher Angela Heyes said: “We were disappointed at the scheduling of the work and the short notice we received but the foreman on site has pledged as much as possible will be done to minimise disruption.”

A spokesman for Lancashire County Council said: “Following the concerns that had been raised about the potential disruption to parents accessing the school we had been discussing options to avoid this, including rescheduling the work outside of term time early next year.

“However, upon further reassessment and discussion with the schools and residents, it has been decided that the resurfacing work cannot be postponed due to the potential risk to users presented by the condition of the footway, and it will now be carried out over the next four weeks.

“The work will be carried out between 9.30am and 3pm each day to minimise disruption to the school, and we will leave areas available to be used as points for parents to drop off and pick up their children.”