School Staff Criticize Park and Ride as Unsuitable Parking Solution

Educators at St Oswald’s Primary School in Durham have stated that a park and ride service does not present a “reasonable” substitute for on-site parking. The school, located on Church Street, falls within Durham’s Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ), compelling staff to incur daily parking fees of up to £8. While a park and ride service offers a more economical choice, staff members, who are advocating for parking permits, reported instances where buses were at capacity and failed to stop. They also noted that walking to and from the car park could lead to penalties. Durham County Council responded by stating that such occurrences of buses not stopping were “very rare” and offered an apology if they had taken place. The council also reported that 95% of buses operated on schedule during September and October. Parking is available without charge at Howlands Farm car park, situated on South Road. Nevertheless, motorists are required to purchase a day bus pass to utilize this parking facility until 19:00 GMT, otherwise they face potential fines. Hannah Ryall, a teaching assistant at the school, described the park and ride system as so “impractical” that staff preferred parking outside the school. She commented, “We’re standing late at night carrying heavy books in an unsheltered bus stop.” Mrs. Ryall recounted occasions when buses would “drive past” due to being full, particularly as their stop was the last one before the car park, which she said left them “in a position where we’re stuck.” She reiterated that it was not “a reasonable alternative to parking at work,” and mentioned an ongoing campaign to secure permits from the council. Mark Jackson, who serves as the head of transport and contract services at Durham County Council, stated: “It’s very rare for park and ride buses to be full, and drivers are instructed to look out and stop for passengers at all stops. “We apologise if there have been occasions when buses have failed to stop. Both the council and our operator take such matters very seriously and discuss and resolve any complaints together.” Mrs. Ryall highlighted that St Oswald’s School stands as the sole state-funded educational institution in the county where staff are required to pay for parking. She expressed, “I think frustrating is the right word to use,” adding, “I think a lot of us feel really, really degraded and just not valued at all.” Mr. Jackson, head of transport and contract services at Durham County Council, explained that while short-stay permits remain available to assist parents, the local authority finds itself “unable to provide reduced cost permits for staff.” He further elaborated, “Doing so would commit us to making this concession for other businesses in the zone, which would undermine the scheme and exacerbate the current parking problems outside of the school.”