Surrey County Council has agreed to provide free short-stay car parking spaces for parents using a Claygate school.

Parents will now be able to park for free in the county council-owned car park in Hare Lane, while picking up their children from Claygate Primary School.

Councillor David Archer, Surrey County Council’s cabinet member for highways and transport, said the “walking bus stop” idea was put in place after parents complained there was nowhere to park at school pick-up times.

Coun Archer said: “We got a request late last year and we have managed to accommodate them. They now have a small window where they can park.”

Claygate parish councillor Steve Wells, who lives in Hare Lane, welcomed the move but said Surrey County Council needed to change its “pig-headed” car parking policy which he branded as “nonsense”.

Coun Wells said: “The council needs to review the car parking charges. It needs to be more flexible.

“Demand has gone down because of the recession but the charges remain the same, so we’re in the ridiculous position where the car parks are losing money.”