School Traffic and Parking Update: December 2024

Following our November update, the Parish Council has continued its efforts to address ongoing safety concerns near the primary school, particularly on Main Road and Packet Lane.

Key Updates:

1. Community Feedback:

A total of 27 residents shared detailed feedback via our survey, highlighting persistent issues such as traffic congestion, parking violations, and safety risks.

Suggestions included implementing a one-way system, improving pedestrian infrastructure and reopening the school’s top entrance.

2. Lancashire County Council’s Response:

Lancashire County Council Highways has declined our request for a multi-agency meeting, citing resource constraints and stating that no demonstrable safety issues have been identified in the area.

Their response also highlighted the good safety record near the school, despite daily challenges observed by residents. You can read their full letter here.

3. Parish Council Actions:

The Council has published a full Traffic and Parking Update Report, summarising feedback and outlining proposed next steps.

We will continue to work with Bolton-le-Sands Primary School, Lancaster City Council, and other stakeholders to explore potential improvements.

A request for increased parking enforcement during peak school times has been made to Lancashire County Council.

4. Freedom of Information Request:

To better understand the reasoning behind Lancashire County Council’s decisions and assessments, the Parish Council has submitted a Freedom of Information (FOI) request.

This request seeks details of all traffic flow assessments, safety reviews, parking enforcement activity, and correspondence related to traffic and parking in Bolton-le-Sands between 2020 and 2024. Updates on this will be shared when available.

5. Encouraging Resident Reports:

We encourage all residents to continue reporting parking issues directly to Lancashire County Council using their online reporting tool: Report a Parking Issue.

We thank all residents for their continued engagement and support in addressing these critical issues. Please review the report and share your feedback as we work together to improve safety and traffic management in the village.