Aqua group struggles with parking at Stokesley Leisure Centre due to school students. Elderly members face long walks.
The Aqua group uses the leisure centre a lot and they say the parking spots are clearly marked. However, finding a space is hard, and it’s been tough for about eighteen months now.
Some members are elderly, over eighty years old. Recently, they walked far in the cold because they had to park down the road.
One Aqua group member spoke anonymously, feeling that sixth formers bully them. The students park in their spots, making parking impossible and leading to some dangerous situations.
According to the member,the school and centre don’t cooperate. The centre suggested an early morning class, which she thinks is unfair to the Aqua group as it gives the students exactly what they want.
While the council says no dangerous incidents happened, they admit parking can be difficult sometimes. They acknowledge it’s important for customers to park.
Nic Harne works for North Yorkshire Council, and they aren’t moving the Aquafit class. He said they will work with the school to identify students parking there and they will update customers on the issue.
The school also made a statement about this situation. They will remind students about parking rules and they plan to eventually add more parking spaces at the school.
A spokesperson for Stokesley School commented that hey understand the parking issues. Students know to park only in their spots, and the school provides other parking options too. They will ask students to use the correct spots and help the leisure centre with congestion.