PARENTS have raised concerns after a car park and school access was blocked.

The garages behind John Bunyan School, on Lancaster Way, Braintree, have been earmarked for demolition to make space for a block of eight flats along with allocated parking.

However people are concerned about the transfer of use for the site as it provides parking and access for parents and staff to the school.

The area has been closed off as Greenfields Community Housing officially relinquishes control of the site to the new developer.

Donna Collins, a parent who has a disabled daughter at nearby Seesaw Nursery, said: “At the moment I have to get there half-an-hour early just to get her in time. Everyone parks there to pick up their kids from school – at 3.30pm it is a nightmare. There is no way an ambulance or a fire engine would get down there either.”

Councillor Moia Thorogood thinks that the site should have been used for the good of the local community.

She said: “The parking is atrocious as it is, how is it going to be with the new flats? I know Greenfields are looking at all their garage sites in the area, and they have done some lovely things, but it does not sort out the problems with parking.”

Anthony Everard, chairman of the Braintree Urban District Children’s Centre Advisory Board and a governor at John Bunyan Primary School has also written to Braintree District Council outlining his concerns.

A spokesman for Greenfields Community Housing said: “The garage site is being sold as it is uneconomical to maintain. It was offered to ECC and John Bunyan School, but they decided not to purchase it. The proceeds from the sale will be used to build more affordable homes in the Braintree District.

“The planning application was submitted by the new owner and we have no information about what they plan to do with the site.

“We have recently made significant improvements to the parking facilities at nearby Wingate Close for the benefit of our residents.”