In turning down a plan to transform a derelict town centre premises into a school for 30 girls, councillors at Hyndburn put the spotlight on a vexed problem that has exploded into an immense social nuisance over a generation -- the school run.

For, essentially, there was nothing wrong with the application to turn a former solicitor's office in Accrington into a private Muslim school -- except that it would have created traffic chaos.

But, as was pointed out by Coun Len Dickinson, who backed the plan, the pity is that a worthy scheme such as this has to be rejected because nowadays local authorities have to take account of the unwelcome effects of the school run -- in view of the problems they are now routinely encountering.

And does not Coun Dickinson's description of the situation -- of parents becoming "absolute maniacs" behind the wheel, driving madly to get their children to school, parking wherever they please and generally not caring for others -- amount to an all-too-familiar experience for many road users and for residents living near schools?

But if, in addition to the widespread nuisance, this phenomenon has now reached the extent where it is capable of blighting perfectly good planning applications, is it not time that more was done to curb it?

A prime cause, it has to be accepted, is that many parents no longer believe the streets are safe for their children to travel unaccompanied to and from school. And this is an issue that government has to confront.

But if, until this fear is eradicated, the school run has to be accepted, surely measures can be taken to alleviate much of the bother presently being experienced.

Much greater use of car sharing would reduce many of the problems -- especially if schools and parent-teacher bodies were involved in their organisation. And many of the anti-social aspects of the school run might be dispelled by police crackdowns to ensure enforcement of the traffic laws. To do nothing is to let the problem become even more out-of-hand.