A PROPOSED traffic calming scheme near a Darlington primary school has caused outrage among residents.

They say the £40,000 scheme for St Bede's RC Primary School, on the Kingsway estate, will cause severe parking problems for both parents and residents.

One resident, who did not wish to be named, said: "The scheme does not improve the amount of parking spaces, but constitutes a bottleneck right at the entrance to the Kingsway Estate.

"We think traffic should be directed away from the main entrances and sited at the top end of the school grounds, where a footpath already exists for children to use."

A spokesman for Darlington Borough Council said that the residents' complaints had been noted as part of the consultation process, which ended on Friday.

He said: "We haven't made any decisions yet, but the views of the residents will be taken into account. Our priority is the safety of the schoolchildren."

The measures were instigated after parents complained about high traffic speeds on Kingsway and nearby Thompson Road East.

They include the building of two parking lay-bys, narrowing the road at junctions, and extending the school's no-parking zones.

The work, which is part of the council's Safer Routes to School Project, is scheduled to be completed by the end of March.