Fed-up residents say they have endured three years of frustration caused by school buses parking outside their homes.

Those living in Sittingbourne's Adelaide Drive say they have not only had to contend with a fleet of buses using the road as a parking lot every day, but also with dozens of schoolchildren spilling onto the pavements, their front gardens and drives.

The school buses have had to park on the busy A2 London Road and at bus stops in Adelaide Drive since October 2019 when Westlands School told bus companies they could no longer use its premises to drop off and collect pupils.

At the time, principal Simon Cox blamed the situation on the school's popularity with parents; more classrooms were having to be added to accommodate the increasing number of pupils, which put pressure on existing car parks.

Kent County Council (KCC) came up with the alternative – to use London Road and Adelaide Drive – but it infuriated residents, councillors and bus companies.

Three years later, residents are still calling for a better solution to be found.

Cllr Roger Truelove (Lab), who represents the Homewood ward on Swale council, said: "Residents were extremely angry about this agreement and, also, they were concerned for the safety of the youngsters coming out of school.

"We've now had three years of this and I get constant complaints from residents in Adelaide Drive, but also in surrounding areas. The complaints are that the buses arrive too early; the school pick-up time is about 3pm but some buses are said to be arriving as early as 2.15pm and waiting all that time for the children to come out. On Thursday, we saw six arrive before 2.30pm.

"There's also complaints because, while they're here early, some of the buses are accused of idling and therefore causing pollution, and residents along the road continue to be upset about the decision.

"Everybody who lives on this road is very conscious of the traffic and they feel like it's made worse by the buses being parked up here every afternoon.

"There are also residents, who live near the bus stops, who complain very regularly about the children's behaviour and what they're having to deal with daily."

He added: "The problem is that Westlands expands because KCC finds it very difficult to find school places, and many of the children who come here come on buses from Sheppey.

"A long-term solution is that we provide an alternative secondary education on Sheppey – two schools not just one – and that more youngsters on the Island prefer to go to school in their own community and not come to Sittingbourne.

"It's not that we don't want them here but the fact is it's causing overcrowding in our secondary schools and it is causing this congestion problem."

Angela and Alexander Prudhomme, who have lived in Adelaide Drive for 53 years, say they have only had a problem living near a bus stop for the past three years.

They said: "The buses cause traffic jams; there's just so much traffic, it's not safe.

"They turn up early and sometimes they leave their engines running. We then have all the children congregating out the front of our property and they leave all their rubbish. They walk all over our wall, they put their bags in our front garden. It's just not fair on the residents."

"There has never been a problem with having a bus stop outside our home; not until the school decided to stop having the buses.

"With the prospect of more housing in the area too, it's only going to get worse. Something needs to be done."

Cllr Truelove said some action by Swale council to stop the idling issue might help but, he added, the "real solution" is finding school places elsewhere "to ensure there aren't so many buses having to come here".

Tim Lambkin, managing director of Travelmasters, said: "It's the safety of the kids that is paramount and it is a concern with the kids having to cross such a busy road. It is also having an effect on the residents. There's got to be a resolution somewhere for all parties' benefits."

A Kent County Council spokesman said: “When Westlands School notified KCC it would no longer be able to accommodate buses on its site, officers worked with partners to find an alternative place for passengers to alight.

“We wanted to put peak time clearways on the Adelaide Drive bus stops so buses could stop as easily as possible. But residents and other local authorities would not accept this.

“In the absence of an agreement, the Adelaide Drive bus stops are the closest, safest and most appropriate alternative in what is a congested area.”