BROOKLANDS residents are calling for parking restrictions to be put in place to cope with severe traffic problems on residential roads in the area.

Householders on the Woodbourne road estate say action is urgently needed before a proposed expansion of Brooklands Primary School takes place.

A planning application has been lodged to build extensions for seven additional infant and nursery classrooms, an extension to the main hall and to provide a new kitchen area.

Residents claim that they already have to contend with congestion and all-day parking issues in the area and believe the school expansion will make the situation even worse. They say that in addition to the school traffic, commuters using nearby Brooklands station, who park their cars all day on the roads, are a large part of the problem.

Barry Lewis, of Wilford Avenue, said more parking restrictions are essential as the situation is already 'utter chaos'.

He added: "The school is at the mouth of Woodbourne Road which leads to a complex of 14 roads serving some 360 family houses with the only means of access and egress being past the school."

Brooklands Residents' Action Group has written to the council voicing its concerns. The group wrote that it "urges you most strongly to consider increased/extended parking control in the surrounding roads, particularly during peak school times.

"We believe that increased parking restriction is an urgent necessity at least as a condition of the extension going ahead and preferably in any event, should the proposal be successful or not."

The school acknowledged in its travel plan update that it had been unsuccessful so far in its bid to increase the proportion of children walking to school. It pointed out that many children lived a 'long walk' distance from school, while many working parents do not have the time to walk their children to school

Trafford Council said it could not comment as a consultation on the planning application is taking place.