PARISH councillors in Kings Worthy have rejected a scheme designed to reduce traffic at the gates of the village school.

They turned down proposals to put a footpath across Eversley Park that would help ease congestion at the entrance to Kings Worthy Primary School.

The proposed path would link the school grounds with the Worthies Sports and Social Club car park at the end of Loader Close.

Mums say the park gets too muddy to cross in the winter, meaning they have to drive their children to the school gates off Hinton Fields.

But Kings Worthy Parish Council voted against the scheme, saying it would cause traffic problems on Lovedon Lane, and that it was concerned it would be left to fund the upkeep of the path.

“We have looked at this time and time again,” said Cllr Peter Warrener, council chairman.

“We have arrived at this decision — we don’t want this scar across the ground.”

He added the authority had already offered to widen the existing footpath, which runs around the edge of the park.

“I don’t know what the parish council’s issue is with it,” said Grainne McCullagh, co-chairwoman of Kings Worthy Primary School’s PTA.

“The football club doesn’t have a problem with it and they endorsed it going ahead.

“It would help the parking problems around the school. I know a number of people who would use the car park at Eversley Park if there was a footpath.

“I feel the parish council at times just doesn’t see the bigger picture.”

Head teacher Stash Kozlowski said he was in favour of a path, saying he thought it was a “super idea”.