Parents to be charged for Milton Keynes school run parking

But other parents have praised the initiative of Walton High - and hope it encourages more youngsters to walk to school.

The permits, which equate to £3 per week, will entitle drivers to drop off or pick up in the car park to the side of the Brooklands Campus.

Sited just off the busy Fen Street, the bus service is poor and the campus does not allow parking in front of the school.

The money raised will help pay for the school’s second initiative to ease school runs - an in-house minibus to pick students up from bus stops close to their homes.

This would cost parents around £10 a week, but currently there is not enough interest to make it viable, say Brooklands bosses.

Meanwhile all parents have this week been sent an application form to buy a permit.

Brooklands executive principal Michelle Currie said the permit scheme was a temporary measure due the current lack of public transport in the area and the “abnormally high” number of children being driven to school from out of catchment.

But one parent said: “It’s shocking to be charged £38 a term just to drop off and pick up a child. This should be investigated,” Another said: “It’s a great idea and one that other schools should follow. Parking is a nightmare at many schools and this is a sensible solution that will make things safer for everybody who lives or drives in that area.”

The permits equate to 50p plus VAT a day, paid termly in advance. This is a small price to pay for children’s safety, say some parents.

The school is welcoming consultation about the £114 a year scheme. Ms Currie is urging parents to express their views via [email protected].