Angry residents say noisy Portsmouth school is '˜as loud as Glastonbury'

Disgruntled residents Steve Hobbs, left, with Colin Major, right, outside Northern Parade schools, in Hilsea.

People living around Hilsea’s Northern Parade schools say the site is noisier now than it has ever been – and that the area’s parking problems are at an all-time high.

Residents have described how the school plays ‘loud music’ early in the morning while the children exercise.

And they say they are left trapped in their homes at the beginning and end of the school day as parents clog the roads to collect their children.

Disgruntled neighbours, from Northern Parade, Doyle Avenue and Kipling Road, have inundated local councillors with complaints, claiming the woes will deepen when the school expands in September.

Steve Hobbs, 54, is self-employed and has lived in Northern Parade for 16 years.

He said: ‘Myself and a few other residents have been campaigning for weeks now. Parking, noise pollution –everything has been upped due to the school.

‘We have a lot of elderly residents in the area – one a couple of doors down from me is in her 90s – and the noise from the school in the morning is like being next door to Glastonbury or the Isle of Wight Festival. It’s a massive disturbance to the residents.’

Colin Major, 47, of Northern Parade said: ‘The parking’s ridiculous. We need to plan our whole day around the school.’

Portsmouth’s education boss, Councillor Neill Young, said the city council had looked into the situation.

He said: ‘We’ve spoken to the head teacher and governors of the school and we’re satisfied that their morning activities for children are appropriate ways of encouraging a healthy lifestyle.’

Cllr Young added plans are in the pipeline which the council hopes will help ease congestion outside the school.

‘We’ve looked at the parking situation in the area and are proposing to build a new layby on Doyle Avenue, near the junction with Northern Parade, with about four parking spaces,’ Cllr Young said.

But Mr Major said this was not good enough and urged the council to build a new car park on derelict land off Doyle Avenue.

He said: ‘There’s enough space for 100 cars there. It’s a no-brainer. Otherwise you’re just going to push the problem elsewhere.’