Shocking number of fines issued to Walsall parents ‘school gate parking’ in just one term

A report to Walsall Council’s cabinet, which meets later this week, highlighted the problems the borough suffers from with the issue of school gate parking.

And it revealed more than 2,500 people were handed warnings they could face fines before more than 430 of them were hit with penalty charge notices.

Members of the authorty’s Scrutiny Overview Committee set up a working group in 2022 to look into the issue and came up with a raft of recommendations around themes including partnership working, education and enforcement.

Cabinet members will look at the progress of work which has been carried out to date on those recommendations when it meets on Wednesday (March 20).

The report said: “At many locations across the borough, roads around schools experience a surge of traffic concentrated over a 50-minute period at school drop off and pick up times.

“This results in an increased risk of collisions with vulnerable road users and other motorists, unlawful parking, congestion and consequential impacts on air quality.

“In March 2022, schools were invited to partake in an online survey about school gate parking.

“Sixty-three schools and early years’ settings responded and of those establishments 63% said that school gate parking was always a problem around their site.

“Between April 2022 and January 2023, a Scrutiny Overview Committee working group considered the multi-faceted approach that the council takes to manage school gate parking. The working group made 16 recommendations.

“The most significant progression since the submission of the working group report is the implementation of moving traffic enforcement.

“In July 2023, the council was empowered to carry out the enforcement of several prescribed offences at specific locations, including in respect to school streets.

“Cameras were installed at all ten school street locations and enforcement commenced in September 2023.

“During the first six months, councils are required to issue a warning in the first

instance and advise that any further contraventions at the same location will result in the issue of a penalty charge notice [PCN].

“Across the ten school streets, the council issued 2,556 enforcement warnings and 432 PCNs during the 2023 autumn term.”