A PARKING permit used by parents at a Knutsford school to alleviate congestion at drop off and pick up times is under review with concerns aired that it could be scrapped.

Currently parents at Egerton Primary School can pay £20 for a school term pass to park in Booths car park, which allows them time to drop off their children in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon - between the times of 8.45am and 9.15am and 2.145pm and 4.30pm.

The permit also makes allowance for after-school club pick up times.

However, parents were informed via letter that the scheme was to be scrapped leaving concerns about parents using the narrow cul-de-sac leading to the school instead.

Cllr Jonathan Farber, Knutsford town councillor and a parent of children attending Egerton Primary School, told the Guardian that if the scheme was scrapped it would be 'shortsighted'.

"As a parent, the parking scheme at Booths, originally championed by Len Thompson, was a genius idea that alleviated parking problems on the streets in and around the Egerton primary school at both pick up and drop off times," he said.

"To see this scheme scrapped is woefully shortsighted.

"This will now see more traffic issues and increased driver frustration during rush hour as parents will now be forced to jostle for free parking close to the school. This is not only going to be a challenge for parents but is very likely to reduce on road safety, something I am sure that the local policing unit would be keen to avoid.

"Many parents and children walk to the school but there is a reasonable number of people who need to drive there en route to their place of work whilst others need to unload, instruments and other educational related items whilst trying to get their children to school safely."

But a spokesman for Cheshire East Council said a review would be taking place and nothing had been decided.

"CEC has been reviewing its approach to parking issues faced at many of its schools to address a range of concerns affecting both parents and school children and the local community where our schools are situated," he said.

"As such no decisions have been taken regarding the permit arrangements at Egerton Primary School.

"It is proposed that the review will cover initiatives such as this to see how they will perform in managing the impacts of parking around this particular school.

"Work on the review is programmed to take place shortly."