A YOUNGSTER will be killed if nothing is done to solve traffic gridlock outside a school, a councillor has warned.

Eight buses, as well as scores of parents, park outside Rivington and Blackrod High as home time approaches to pick up pupils.

And though the school writes and speaks to parents about the issue and does its best to keep the volume of traffic under control, it acknowledges that the need is great for an off-road waiting area to take vehicles off Rivington Lane.

The construction of a bus turn-round point and waiting area has been discussed for 15 years but it is still no nearer fruition.

Chairman of Rivington Parish Council, Cllr Glen Hester, said that if nothing is done a tragedy could occur.

Mr Hester said he had complained about the issue both to the council and to North West Water -- which is responsible for the majority of land at Rivington because it is a water catchment area.

He added: "We've wanted this sorting out for a long time and we believe that discussions have taken place in the past.

"Rivington Lane gets completely clogged up at school finishing time and it makes it extremely dangerous for schoolchildren, and the many walkers who use this area.

"The headteacher agrees with us that something needs doing and there is spare land that could be used to take some cars off the road." As school finishes for the day, Rivington Lane becomes a sea of cars and buses, to pick up many of the 1,400 pupils who attend the secondary school.

The school has taken steps to ease the problem by instructing all parents to only park on one side of the road.

Staff go out and actively supervise the area.

And the headteacher says that the school has done its best to solve the problem -- despite a lack of active help from the authorities.

Mr John Baumber said: "It is a far from satisfactory situation but it is the same at many schools. We are responsible for what happens on school grounds and we have no jurisdiction over motorists."

Chairman of governors, Cllr John Cronnolley, admitted it was "a nightmare" at home time.

He said: "I've been a governor for seven years and it was an ongoing issue way before that.

"It is bad for 20 minutes after school finishes at 3.15pm and one of these days a child will be knocked over.

"But we have tried so hard to solve it. We have had discussions about it and a bus bay was due to be put in a few years back, with a third of the cost paid by the school, a third by Chorley Council and a third by GMPTE.

"But it didn't happen and it is annoying. We've got both hands tied behind our backs but we are still trying to get it done and it is an ongoing situation."

Chorley Borough Council said it appealed to parents to walk their children to school whenever possible, for the health benefit to their child and to ease traffic pressure.

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