Flintshire: CCTV mooted to tackle school parking problems

ANPR cameras could appear outside some schools if plans are given the go-ahead

Schools facing problems with parking outside could have CCTV with number plate recognition technology installed.

The plan by Flintshire council is aimed at tackling the problem and is due to be discussed this week.

It follows a council report which acknowledges there is inconsiderate, irresponsible and dangerous parking outside schools in the county.

However, it warned there were no easy fixes to solving the problems everywhere.

The council's environment and education scrutiny committees looked at a joint-report, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

• Parking costs could rise due to council's budget

The report said: "Parking within the vicinity of schools is a longstanding problem and many schools are located within densely populated and built-up residential areas on narrow roads, where much of the infrastructure and buildings were constructed at a time when vehicle usage was significantly lower than the present day.

"Inappropriate, inconsiderate and sometimes, dangerous parking is an increasing issue around schools and puts the safety of children and other road users at risk.

"There is no one single solution to fix the issue and it will require a range of measures applied regularly throughout the school year and commitment from the school and wider school community."

Patrol officers

The report adds that responsibility also falls on motorists who should be adhering to the Highway Code.

The council currently has 10 enforcement officers, who also cover other infractions such as dog fouling and fly-tipping.

Of the 78 schools across the county, 25 currently have traffic restrictions patrolled, ranging from just 'School Keep Clear' markings to other measures.

According to the report, the concerns received about the schools tend to be about the afternoon pick-up when people arrive early looking for spaces to park to collect a pupil.

It adds CCTV and automatic number plate recognition could be a solution outside some schools.

"Such technology could only be used for enforcing clearways such as 'school keep clear' markings and not for people who might be able to park legitimately with a blue badge in the windscreen," the report said.

The education scrutiny committee will meet on Thursday.