Agenda item

The officers will report at the meeting.

 

The following have been invited to attend for the consideration of this item:-

 

Councillors J Innes and R Lakha, Cabinet and Deputy Cabinet Member for City Services and Councillor K Maton, Cabinet Member for Education and Skills.

 

Councillor L Kelly, Assistant Police and Crime Commissioner and Member of the Strategic Policing and Crime Board

 

Mrs S Hanson and Mrs K Jones, Co-opted Members of the Education and Children’s Services Scrutiny Board

 

A representative from West Midlands Police

The Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee considered a Briefing Note of the Deputy Chief Executive (Place) which outlined the current problems and road safety concerns outside of schools caused by parked vehicles during school drop off and pick up times. The Briefing Note detailed the current arrangements for tackling the issue and options available for dealing with the problem more effectively.

 

The problems caused by vehicles parking outside of schools is a long-standing one. The fact that cars are parked does not necessarily mean that there is a parking problem. It is only a problem if the parking is illegal or causing a danger to pedestrian or vehicle movement. The problem caused by illegally parked vehicles outside of schools is one that many local authorities across the country have to contend with and is widespread at many schools throughout Coventry.

 

In Coventry there are more than 130 primary and secondary schools and many of these have more than one entrance to the site. The majority of schools regularly experience parking problems due to the lack of available parking in the vicinity of the school. Some drivers also inconsiderately park in front of private driveways thereby preventing residents from accessing their own property or even park on the resident’s private driveway.

 

The Briefing Note highlighted the following issues:-

 

  • Not all keep clear road markings (a yellow zig zag line) are the subject

  of a Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) which makes them enforceable

 

  • The role of the Council’s Civil Enforcement Officers

 

  • The Local Authorities enforcement powers under the Traffic

  Management Act 2004

 

  • The use of an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera –

  its effectiveness and issues relating to the current contract with a third

  party supplier

 

  •The wide range of initiatives undertaken by schools to help influence

  behaviours to alleviate the problem

 

  • A pilot project being trialled in Solihull which limits the traffic in certain

  streets around the school at key times

 

  • A number of options being explored as a way forward.

 

The Committee were informed that data shows that the majority of children attend their local catchment area school. The Committee also heard from a local resident who was regularly affected by the behaviour of inconsiderate and dangerous parking and questioned officers on a number of issues including:-

 

  • Enforcement powers available to the Council

 

  • Potential for using Public Space Protection Order and Anti Social

  Behaviour Orders

 

  • On –going work done with schools and parents to look at alternatives

  to travelling to school by car, including safer routes risk assessments

 

  • The use of Green Travel Plans

 

  Timescales and costs involved in introducing Traffic Regulation Orders

  (Officers were requested to submit information regarding this to all

  Members of the Committee)

 

• Traffic calming measures introduced in Deedmore Road which have had an impact on parking problems.

 

The Cabinet Member for City Services attended the meeting and outlined her commitment to exploring all options to tackle this issue.

 

The Committee acknowledged that there was not an easy solution to this problem and that there needed to be a holistic approach which involved both encouragement to change behaviour and enforcement where appropriate.

 

RESOLVED that the Scrutiny Co-ordination Committee :-

 

(1)  Notes the increasing concerns caused by vehicles that are parked illegally outside of schools and the Council’s enforcement strategy to combat this issue

 

(2)  Supports the proposed options presented as a way forward in the report

 

(3)  Informs the Cabinet Member for City Services of their support for the following further action in relation to this problem:-

 

a)  The development of a business case to procure and operate an in house enforcement vehicle

 

b)  The possibility of having a “pilot” school where a number of initiatives can be trialled, including encouraging courteous behaviour

 

c)  The distribution of “parking cards” which can be placed on the windscreens of cars parked inappropriately

 

d)  Ensuring that all zig zag lines are covered by a TRO and enforced

 

e)  Reviewing the outcome of the exclusion zone currently being trialled in Solihull

 

 

f)  Consideration of introducing a Public Space Protection Order/Anti Social Behaviour Order to prevent in appropriate parking/ anti-social behaviour

 

g)  Consideration of bidding, as part of the PPR process, for additional resources to tackle this issue in future year’s budgets

 

 

h)  Supporting and encouraging the introduction of green travel plans and safer route assessments for all schools

 

i)  Looking at the impact on parking issues resulting from the introduction of traffic calming measures in Deedmore Road