Space for school parking

By Sarah Schwager
A LACK of parking outside Cranbourne Primary School has highlighted the need for car bays to be factored in when new schools are built.
At its 20 December meeting, Casey Council decided to apply to the Department of Education and Training for funding for the construction of 33 new parking bays at the Childers Street frontage at the school.
But Casey mayor Kevin Bradford said there were many problems with existing parking around schools which needed to be rectified at the planning stages.
“It is something the Department of Education and Training should bear in mind when putting new schools in suburbs, such as the Hunt Club Estate,” Cr Bradford said.
“Part of the planning should be that there is ample parking in that area to prevent problems occurring, not just in Cranbourne, but the whole city of Casey.”Cr Bradford said there was a particularly high number of problems with parking around schools in Cranbourne West, Endeavour Hills and in north Casey.
“There is not enough thought put into the issue at the planning and construction stage,” he said.
“Hopefully, it is something the department will put in mind with new schools.”
A report on possible additional parking at Cranbourne Primary School found 33 angled parking spaces could replace 10 parallel ones on Childers Street at a cost of $154,000, which includes alterations to services and drainage.
The motion to pass on a copy of the report to the department was carried unanimously. The school could be required to fund some of the parking development.
The Department of Education and Training was unable to comment before the News went to print.