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High numbers of students blamed for traffic spike
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College traffic nightmare for neighbours

By Tim Harris
November 13, 2012

PEOPLE living near a college in Farnborough say they are having their ‘quality of life’ affected by traffic issues in the area.

Residents near Farnborough Sixth Form College, in Prospect Avenue, say they are experiencing problems on a regular basis.

Rushmoor councillors Clive Grattan, Barry Jones and Les Taylor previously voiced fears over parking, congestion and speeding, particularly in Prospect Avenue and Sand Hill.

Since then exasperated residents who live in this area have revealed how these issues affect them on a daily basis.

Nicola Sills, of Sand Hill, said: “People stop in my driveway and drop children off. They park on my drive and block my entrance. It is extremely frustrating.

“Parking is the main problem, and there is a safety issue with people mounting the pavement – they do not signal.

“When we are walking our children to school, you fear for them. It is an accident hotspot really.”

Another resident of Sand Hill added: “It is a major, major problem around here. There is no pick up or drop off point, cars just stop anywhere. We have people parking on our drive. There is a lack of respect, they just seem to park and stop and do whatever they want. There is also noise, they beep their horns and have their music on loud.

“We have people coming into the roads and it causes tailbacks, which is frustrating for other drivers. We have had quite a few serious accidents.”

Residents suggested the problems might be a consequence of the growing number of students studying at the college, which now stands at 3,300 full-time students.

People in the area also described how there is an issue with driving instructors lining up along the road waiting to pick up their students for driving lessons, particularly in Whitehouse Close.

Debra Frew, of Whitehouse Close, described the entire situation as a ‘catastrophe on a daily basis.’

Simon Jarvis, principal of Farnborough Sixth Form College, stressed how the college strives to do everything possible to be considerate to the community.

“We take our responsibility as a good neighbour very seriously here,” he said. “We talk to our tutors, students and parents, to encourage them to take care of the local environment.

“We also encourage them to park and drop off safely.

“Unfortunately, if our students and parents are parking inconsiderately, but legally, there is not a great deal more that I can do.”

In response to concerns about the expansion of the college, Mr Jarvis said Farnborough Sixth Form is a ‘successful college,’ that people want to come to.

Cllr Barry Jones said: “This is something the residents feel quite strongly about. It is at best a considerable irritation for people who live in that area, and at worst a safety concern.

“The residents all understand that the college is a brilliant educational establishment, but they are not that keen on it as a neighbour.

“All of the authorities are working towards if not a solution, some mitigation.”

Cllr Mel Kendal, executive member for environment and transport for Hampshire County Council, added: “I can advise that next year Hampshire County Council has proposals to fund a review of parking in the wider area to see what can be done to improve the situation. A number of solutions will be investigated.”

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Most recent user comments 13 of 13

The college do seem to genuinely care about this problem - I have two children there and we have had lots of information from them giving instructions about parking permits, where/where not to park etc. All they can do is keep on educating the students about it, but also perhaps a bit more nagging of parents is in order as I think it's them causing the main problems.

I find it fascinating, like pjt, that so many students have cars. My children don't - and they probably won't have a car until they have a permanent job to pay for it themselves - you can pay for a lot of public transport with the money it costs to run a car, and when I don't want them using public transport I'm their taxi - that's fine by me - it's not forever!

My two cycle to college and I do have a slight "issue" in that there's no covered bike storage - they said it was too expensive, but in the next breath are encouraging "green" ways to travel.

zizza, Farnborough
30/11/2012 at 14:43

something has to be done weayther we like it or not?

PJA
19/11/2012 at 08:39

PJA - The house on one side of me has four cars, the house on the other side has four cars and the house opposite has three cars. All of these houses have off road parking for only two vehicles. Add in the frends staying overnight with their cars and it's a nightmare. Bin lorries have trouble getting down the road. A simple blanket rule of two permits per house would not solve the problem here unless the number of permits allowed at any one property took into account existing off road parking at any property. This would be massively unpopular as well as being expensive and difficult to administer.

pjt
18/11/2012 at 14:20

With resident's permits, the residents have to pay to enjoy what most others in the local area get for free - the ability to park their cars where they live. This is wholy unfair.

pjt.

Totally agree with you pjt but because of the amount of vehicles per household, everyone has these days it is coming that we pay to park outside our homes, it is just that their are people out their with no respect for residents where they park.

Maybe it would be best if all areas in Rushmoor had parking permits say for 2 vehicles per household.

Trouble in my road they bring large amount of company vehicles home such as mini buses - lorries and park in a residental road, these vechicles take up large amount of room stopping others to park out side their homes.

So its not only people getting to a college with problems of parking its a problem all over the area!!

So I say bring in Permit parking for 2 cars only and lorries should park in lorry parks or leave them at work.

PJA
18/11/2012 at 10:41

@ pjt My daughter and her family live in the area they had a problem with students parking residents parking was braught in and parking permits issued with spares for visitors and it is working well. As I said any cost should be payed for by the college as they are the problem.

UKR
17/11/2012 at 13:42

They could have a single hour restriction put in place , which would not affect permit holders, which are paid for by the college. That way visitors would only need to worry from say 10:30 to 11:30am Monday to Friday.

SpongeBob NoPants, Farnborough
16/11/2012 at 17:23

UKR, the problem with making areas 'residents only' is that it causes a different sort of problem for the people that live in the areas affected.

With resident's permits, the residents have to pay to enjoy what most others in the local area get for free - the ability to park their cars where they live. This is wholy unfair.

It is also a pain when residents have visitors coming to stay.

pjt
16/11/2012 at 13:23

We live in very different times. I was 25 and several years outr of college before I could afford a car. Today, however, most teenagers are bought cars by their parents. I know of at least four teenagers who's parents had cars ready for them by their 17th birthday and before they even passed their test. Is it any wonder that where you get a congregation of people who are 17+ you now have parking problems.

pjt
16/11/2012 at 13:21

What was a small grammar school has now become a large college. If the college was a commercial businesss it would have had to provide enough off-street parking for those attending plus a comprehensive travel plan before being allowed to develope the college and increasing the student population. The answer is that the effected roads should be restricted to resident parking and the cost carried by the college and not the residents who are the inocent parties in this

UKR
14/11/2012 at 10:18

This problem doesn't just happern to those who live near farnborough college, this happerns around all schools in rushmoor area, car owners have no respect for those who live near these areas, they think they can park over your drive, use your drive of somewhere to park, and i have had people parking inside my garden just so they can get their kids to school, and when approached you get their is no where else to park. It is a disgrace how much respect their is out their?.

PJA
14/11/2012 at 07:43

EMPRESS EST

very much a problemin Pierrefondes Ave where the students have created a drop off point by the Ally leading to PRospect ave , Very high speed and heavy traffic in the morning and afternoon and requests to slow down bring Foul mouthed Abuse . ST MICHAELS Road for residents is a nighmare cars parked Both sides all day . other Roads on the Estate are also getting clogged. Councillers are aware but thats as far as ever Gets. Its an accident waiting to happen Near misses every day snapped wing mirrors etc. Collage has been aware for years but never do anything or seem to care its not our problem they Say

Tony stevenson, Farnborough
13/11/2012 at 16:02

Well my son went there for 2 years and we live in Aldershot - I think I picked him up once during that time - the rest of the time he got the bus...

Surely at college age they should make their own way their via public transport not parents - that would solve the problem pretty quickly!

sharona, Aldershot
13/11/2012 at 15:31

We have the same in Aldwick, the college has a no parking contract for students and students are able to park in cherrywood football car park, but because they lazy they park in Aldwick as it is free, this is unfair on the local residents where there is limited parking.

Student appear to be able to do as they wish because they attend sixth form college