RESIDENTS have voted overwhelmingly in favour of a new entrance being built at a busy primary school.

People from Belmont View in Harwood are campaigning for a new entrance to be created at Hardy Mill Primary School because they are tired of their own driveways being blocked by parents dropping off youngsters.

Cllr Walter Hall, who is backing the residents' campaign, carried out a survey of 100 people living near the school and 98 of them were in favour of a new entrance and a lay-by being built on Hardy Mill Road.

It is believed that when the school was built 35 years ago residents of Hardy Mill Road had asked Turton Council to place the entrance in Belmont View, but the congestion problem was not considered as so few people used cars to take their children to school the A team from Bolton Council's highways department will now visit the school to complete a traffic survey.

Despite many residents wanting a new entrance to be built, some parents dropping off their children were not keen on the idea. Michael Hogan, who has a daughter at the school, said: "The parents of the primary school children are instructed by the school to drive around Belmont View, as if there was a one-way system imposed, during drop off and collection to alleviate any congestion.

"The parents are also asked not to block people's driveways.

"I believe the council will be putting children's lives at risk and also just moving the problem of parking to a different part of Harwood if the gates are moved."

Cllr Hall said: "There will always be a handful of people who don't agree with the entrance being moved. But you can't please everyone." A Bolton Council spokesman said: "The highways department has arranged a meeting at the school in a couple of weeks' time. The officers will be looking at traffic movement at peak times."