TALKS are set to take place between a school, councillors and the owners of a mill to try to ease traffic problems in Worsthorne.

Residents raised concerns of mid-afternoon chaos after Worsthorne Primary School moved its finishing time to 3.25pm.

That has coincided with regular deliveries to Parkhill Textiles at Gordon Street Mill and a regular bus service coming into the village.

Louise Young, headteacher at Worsthorne Primary School, said school closing time had been moved for some of the children and it had reduced the amount of time the congestion went on for.

She said: “We are happy to work with the parish council to try to find a solution and I will be meeting them next week.”

Ward councillor David Heginbotham, who sits on the parish council, said: “There have been some problems with the lorries and the timing of everything coming into the village.

“We want to work together to try and find a solution and make sure that residents, the school and local companies can live together in harmony.

“All schools have traffic problems at finishing times but it is slightly worse with the lorries coming in as well.

“But the mill is only the big employer left in the town and we have to look after them as well and not do anything that will adversely affect them. It is a fine balancing act.”

Coun Heginbotham said the parish council had identified a patch of land to create a car park that would allow parents to park and drop their children off near to the school but the plans never materialised.