Trial gives free parent parking in Corsham (From This Is Wiltshire)

The next stage in a campaign to beat peak time traffic problems in Corsham sees free parking passes given to parents who are driving their children to school.

Altogether 70 passes will be given out, through schools, giving parents free parking in the public car park behind The Methuen Arms hotel and the one in Newlands Road.

The short stay passes will let parents park free between 8.30-9.05am and 2.55-3.45pm on weekdays, so they can drop their children at school without having to find room to park at the roadside.

The pilot is seen as another way of making Corsham safer. One school expected to benefit is St Patrick’s, in Lacock Road, which has introduced a number of measures to improve road safety for pupils, including “wig wag” school warning lights, which were put in last week and will start working soon.

Head Rita McLoughlin, said: “I am really looking forward to the parking passes being implemented, as it is going to be another stage in making Corsham safer. “For a long time, our whole community have been working together to alleviate the traffic issues. The introduction of a lollipop lady has made a big difference and I’m sure the wig wags will, too.”

The pilot scheme is the latest measure introduced in Corsham this year to make the town safer for pedestrians and reduce queues for motorists. A two-week traffic-calming trial in South Place in May, when vehicles from Pound Pill were given priority over ones coming from Pickwick Road, had a mixed response.

Cllr Dick Tongue, cabinet member for highways and transport, said: “The main thing is always the safety of the children and, over the last four years, we’ve seen incidents involving children being injured come down by 40 per cent.

“The important thing is to establish safety in the minds of children when they are young and this should make them safer drivers when they are older.”

Cllr Tongue said the car parks had been evaluated to see, on average, how many spaces were free at school opening and closing times.

Wiltshire Council has contacted Corsham Town Council and the chamber of commerce to get their views.

Wiltshire and town councillor Peter Davis said: “This will make the roads quieter and it will also improve the safety of children and adults walking to school.”