For decades, parents have used Southbourne Club's car park in New Road as a drop-off point for their youngsters, which is only a short walk away from the infant and junior schools.

But now the club has put up a permanent wooden fence, closing it off.

It has upset parents who said they would have been happy to pay to park there, or contribute to the resurfacing of the private car park.

They feel its closure has endangered the lives of children who are more at risk on the busy roads.

Parent Michelle Quinton said: "It is a nightmare. If you don't get here early enough, you cannot find anywhere to park.

"Lots of cars try to park on the side of the road. It is getting more and more dangerous."

Parent Anne Field said she had no option but to drive to pick up her child as she lives three miles away.

"I am very upset about it," she said. "A lot of people always parked in the car park. It was a lot safer.

"I do not have the option to be able to walk to school, which means I have to leave earlier in the morning. It is an inconvenience."

Children finish school at 3.15pm and some parents said they arrived as early as 2.30pm to get a good parking space.

Parent Sarah Tier said: "It has been a nightmare since they closed the car park. It was fine all the time the car park was open. Now they have closed it, it has made it very difficult.

"I cannot understand the reasoning for it."

Parent Suzie Nelder said: "You have cars parking on the roads and on the grass, and there is only one way for traffic to go through – it is impossible now."

The club's statement on display says the car park has been closed off because of the condition of the surface. It is now open for club members' use only.

A meeting between the headteachers of the two schools, representatives of the club and Southbourne Parish Council discussed options to solve the problem, which will be discussed at future meetings.

Options which were discussed included converting the Age Concern car park next to the entrance of the school to provide a drop-off area, putting in place a voluntary one-way system to ease congestion, and to look at using other car parks including the church, library, farm shop, or an area of land next to the Travellers Joy pub on the A259.

The club declined to comment to the Observer about the car park closure.



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