Rethink on car park closure

The car park at Greasbrough Road, Parkgate—close to Ashwood Primary School on Ashwood Road—is regularly used by parents dropping off and collecting their children.

Two weeks ago, the authority closed the site as it was deemed “surplus to operational requirements” and the land was placed in the authority’s land and property bank.

The move prompted anger from parents and business owners who said that the car park was well used and closing it had led to a dangerous situation outside the school.

This week, a council spokeswoman confirmed that the car park would reopen on Monday.

She said: “Following numerous complaints from parents and business owners we have decided to reopen the car park.

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“The bollards have already been removed so parents are able to use the car park again.

“There is still the problem that it isn’t used by the general public and the situation will be continually monitored.”

One parent who did not wish to be named said: “There is no way that that car park was underused. Closing it led to so many parking problems on the road outside school.

“It became dangerous and rather than solving a problem the council caused one.

“I was so angry when I read that the council described it as ‘underused’.”

At the time of closure, a council spokeswoman said that the Greasbrough Road car park at Parkgate had 44 spaces and was rarely used, apart from being a location for regular anti-social behaviour, such as drug abuse.

She added: “The authority receives no income from this particular site but £1,366.20 has to be paid by the authority in business rates.”

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