Students walking to school fear it’s only a matter of time before “somebody gets hurt” after a spate of near-misses close to a new-build housing estate.

Year 11 pupils at Ebbsfleet Academy in Swanscombe are campaigning for better access to their school after recording parents parking illegally and speeding outside the gates.

They fear the situation outside the grounds at drop-off and pick-up times is an “accident waiting to happen” and urgent action is needed.

The secondary school has shared access to its site with Swanscombe Health Centre, the library, Swan Valley Pharmacy and access to Manor Community Primary School for decades.

But principal Gurjit Kaur Shergill said the “dangerous” situation has got worse since the building of thousands of new homes in Castle Hill, part of Kent’s new garden city.

Previously students would access the site via the pedestrianised walkway onto Swanscombe Street.

But, with hundreds of pupils now coming from the neighbouring Ebbsfleet development, they are having to walk out the school gates – where there is no pedestrian access – and across only a very narrow pavement towards the housing estate.

Ms Kaur Shergill added: “The issue is the safety of our students when they are leaving the academy.

“They need to feel safe and at the moment they do not because there is so much congestion as they are leaving and there is no footpath for them to use.”

The pupils have been using their citizenship lesson to work on a solution to the issue including carrying out surveys on the site during the busiest periods, coming up with ideas to resolve the issue and writing to their MP.

Pupil Shannon Street said: “We came and observed what was happening and we saw 10 children almost run over in 10 minutes.

“Cars stop in dangerous places. They speed along.”

Ms Shergill says the main issue is the inconsiderate parking by some parents who she says refuse to use the allocated car park as it takes too long to leave.

The school head says some are also breaking the five mile per hour speed limit and double-park around the mini roundabouts, or wait on double yellow lines or at the school bus stop.

Alongside her staff Ms Shergill often dons a high vis jacket and attempts to direct the traffic but the principal said this is a fruitless task.

“We don’t have any conviction. They don’t listen to us.”

She said she has asked about traffic wardens but been told that is not an option.

Shannon said her group has discussed ideas including railings around the narrow pavement outside the school gates and a zebra crossing close to the exit.

But the pupil added: “We were told the pavement was too narrow for railings to be added as wheelchairs would not be able to fit.

“Something needs to be done to make a safe drop-off and pick-up area before somebody gets hurt.”

A survey carried out by the pupils revealed 75 per cent of students entered the school through the front gates where there is no path.

One idea the pupils devised was to create a footpath from the corner of the car park to the new development.

This would mean pupils would not need to navigate the school gates and use the narrow pavement along Stanhope Road towards Castle Hill.

They have also written to their local council calling for action in which they stated their idea for a footpath claiming the grounds are unsafe for members of the public as well as students.

Ms Kaur Shergill added: “We have discovered that many of our students do not feel safe when entering the school gates or when in the car park as it is so overcrowded.

“We would like to see a new open footpath built from the alleyway of Castle Hill so that school students or just pedestrians can walk safely and have a wide enough area to get around.”

Ms Shergill said the idea was agreed by Ebbsfleet Development Corporation and was promised for last Easter, but since then nothing has happened.

“Something needs to be done and the local authority needs to take immediate action because it is an accident waiting to happen,” she added.

“It’s a public car park so the council needs to look at what they can put in place, whether that be enforcement for people who are illegally parking on roundabouts and double yellow lines or improvements to the infrastructure.

“The community is growing with all the new houses at Castle Hill and they really need to think about the infrastructure and make sure there is enough in place to keep everybody safe.”

A spokesman for Ebbsfleet Development Corporation said: “Access is being provided by the Green Corridors programme and a public consultation is ongoing.

“Kent County Council (KCC) has been working with the school on this project, and Ms Shergill should expect to be kept up to date with progress directly from them.”

But the county council said it was for the landowner to consider options available to them when updating roads and they are not responsible for maintaining the roads and pavements in the Castle Hill Road area.

A spokesman added: “KCC does own and maintain Southfleet Road, where the main school access is located with an existing pavement access.

“Schools are encouraged to work closely with KCC to implement a bespoke school travel plan and we will reach out to senior leaders again to offer our support.

“KCC also provides education resources to help children better understand road safety and assist the school in promoting sustainable and active travel options.”

The proposed pathway is one of eight around Greenhithe, Ebbsfleet and Northfleet, first raised in July 2021 as part of a bid by the green corridors programme to encourage walking and cycling as an alternative way to travel for short journeys.