When the new campus was being built I repeatedly asked if safe, secure parking would be provided for the Mayfield children being dropped off and picked up by parents. Repeatedly I was told not to worry, that it was being addressed.

Mayfield has a secure car park and on the first day we were told that there was not enough space for the transport buses and parents too. We were told to park in the bus lane outside Mayfield.

Then we were told not to park there as the buses for St Benedict’s had to park there but cars were allowed to park in the bus lane outside St Benedict’s.

Why was this section not designated a no parking bus lane for St Benedict’s and the bus lane outside Mayfield designated as a parking area only for Mayfield drop-off and pick-up?

There are eight disabled bays in the entire car park. Quite frequently they are blocked by cars without a blue badge. I have challenged people but have been met with aggression. I have repeatedly told both schools about the misuse of disabled bays but nothing has been done.

The groundsmen were used to tell parents to stop parking on the bus lane outside Mayfield – could they not police the disabled bays too?

The campus has gates at the entrance and exit. We were initially given times when the gates would be open. The entrance gates are open all the time now. So much for security – anyone could access the campus.

When they were closed cars used to queue up outside them waiting for them to be opened. One day I had to collect my son from Mayfield as he had had a nasty fall, was in a lot of pain and unable to walk. I had to ask cars to move so I could get in.

What if an ambulance had to get in? Vital minutes lost whilst cars were moved to allow access.

The gates need to be kept closed for security reasons but why can’t the area in front of the gates be made a no waiting zone? That way the gates can be accessed 24/7.

There is no flow of traffic. Traffic has difficulty leaving the campus due to traffic driving towards the roundabout. This results in traffic becoming backed up trying to enter the campus. Cars are trying to enter the campus from two directions, there are no yellow lines on the road outside the gates preventing cars parking and narrowing the access, cars are trying to drive both ways on Red Lonning, cars trying to join the entrance queue just after the golf course. It’s chaos.

Pickup time at the campus is very dangerous too. There are cars parked everywhere. Pavements are blocked, buses often block the road, cars are driving over the pavements to get into the car park or to bypass a blockage in the road. How someone has not been injured or killed is beyond me.

The St Benedict’s teachers come out to supervise the children as they leave the school but they never challenge a driver who is endangering a child by the way they drive/park. Yes, I know it is probably not their job but the children are still on campus property so do the teachers not have a duty of care to ensure that the children are safe?

Sorry for the long rant but I am fed up and frustrated. We have two new wonderful schools, especially Mayfield, but the current traffic flow, or lack of it, is so dangerous.

NAME AND ADDRESS SUPPLIED

Anti-semitism

During the reign of Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Party have had a real problem with anti semitism in the party often failing to accept they have a problem, never mind doing anything to try and address it.

But the pre-prepared anti-Semitic statement read out in the council chambers by Labour councillor David Banks last week shocked Copeland councillors.

It will be interesting how the Copeland Labour Party reacts to this. If by the time this paper goes to press Coun Banks is still a member of the party it confirms that here in Copeland the Labour group pushes anti-semitism under the carpet and turns a blind eye to anti-semitic behaviour within their ranks – behaviour the good people of Copeland find abhorrent.

Coun DAVID MOORE

Copeland Conservative Group

Stop the hate

Today people in your community are experiencing abuse, stares and bullying simply because of how they look.

Over a quarter of people with a visible difference have experienced a hate crime yet the majority (72 per cent) did not report it. We know that these experiences are having a negative impact on mental health, making people feel anxious about going out and leading to a loss in confidence.

At Changing Faces we’re calling on people from Whitehaven to report hate crime if they experience it or if they witness someone being abused or harassed because of how they look.

We hope our campaign will help stop the hate by giving people the confidence and the methods to report abuse. Our advice is, if it feels wrong then it probably is wrong.

If ever there was a time for people who look different to be seen and heard it’s now. Join us and support our #VisibleHate campaign – together we can make sure that people with a visible difference can live the life they want.

BECKY HEWITT

Chief Executive, Changing Faces