Congestion plans for Rose Green are put on hold

West Sussex County Council was prepared to spend 10,000 in the coming year on the compiling proposals for a new entrance to the area's infant school.

The initial thoughts involved creating a new access gate and footpath into the rear of the school grounds along Nyetimber Lane.

But protests from the police and nearby residents have led the county council to realise it needed to think again about the scheme. The money has also been diverted towards the need to repair roads across the county after the severe winter.

Nyetimber area county councillor Michael Coleman said about the school plans: "We had quite a lot of complaints from local residents.

"We are going to have to spend more time working on the solution in an effort to try to balance the requirements of the school's governors and the parents."

The school's only entrance is in a cul-de-sac, Hawkins Close, which becomes clogged before and after lessons with parents dropping off and collecting their children. Surrounding roads are also subject to excessive parking during those periods.

The school's lengthy rear boundary with Nyetimber Lane is marked by an unbroken 6ft tall chain link fence. It seemed to offer a realistic way to relieve the pressure on the front entrance.

A feasibility study by the county council showed a high number of families would switch from driving to school to walking if a new gate and footpath into the school was installed.

The scheme would also include a dropped kerb crossing point on Nyetimber Lane.

But Cllr Coleman said it was realised any new entrance to school could cause its own safety problems.

"Whatever we do down there, the parents will stop their cars and drop their kids off and cause chaos."

He is meeting the school's headteacher and governors next week to discuss the matter.