Cars will not be allowed to park near a village school at pick-up and drop-off times as part of a council parking trial.

The new initiative, called 'school streets,' will see six schools in the county try the parking scheme, including Askam Village School.

The school will be the first in the area to trial the regime, with no cars allowed to park outside at key times.

Councillors questioned Rob Lewis, senior manager for Cumbria Highways, on the scheme at a Cumbria County Council local committee for Barrow meeting, and expressed frustration at the fact that they had not been consulted on the choice of school.

Councillor Anne Burns, who represents Hindpool, said: "What criteria did you use to select Askam Village School?

"I know it's on a dangerous piece of road there, but other schools have real problems, so who selected this school as it was not chosen through a Barrow committee meeting?"

Mr Lewis said: "With schools it's very much a trial.

"The traffic team and parking team have helped me make up my mind.

"We have spoken to various schools, and this scheme will be extend to other schools if it is successful."

Cllr Burns said the decision should have been discussed with councillors and not made by officers only, and Councillor Kevin Hamilton, who chaired the meeting, agreed.

He said: "This really rankles me, that this wasn’t discussed with councillors first.

"We have gone around schools in the past and looked at the problems of cars at pick-up and set-down times."

Councillor Bill McEwan, who represents Ormsgill, was also upset.

He said: "This choice of school should have been taken to the council and we should have been able to discuss this."

Walney North's Councillor Mel Worth added: "We already have a highways advisory sub group and that issue should have been brought before councillors first."