Planning and Highways Committee

Additional Parking Enforcement Around Schools

3rd March 2020

Item 76

1. Purpose of Report 1.1. To update Committee on the trial of additional parking enforcement measures around five junior and infant schools in and Minworth. 1.2. To update Committee on proposals for further additional parking enforcement measures.

2. Recommendations 2.1. That Committee: a) Note the results of the trail enforcement activity; b) Recommend to Full Council that further parking enforcement activity be commissioned to cover 27 junior and infant schools across for the remainder of the school year; c) Recommend to Full Council that a budget of up to £4,023.84 is allocated for this work.

3. Background 3.1. At 2 July 2019 Planning and Highways Committee Walmley and Minworth Councillors identified ongoing parking issues in their Ward despite measures previously put in place to reduce illegal parking near schools. Committee resolved to recommend to Full Council that a ten-week trial project be undertaken to provide additional parking enforcement measures around five junior and infant schools in Walmley and Minworth and a budget of up to £2,272.40 be allocated. 3.2. The proposed trial would provide at least ten hours of additional parking enforcement per week for ten weeks with the impact of this assessed on completion. 3.3. Town Council officers engaged with City Council Parking Services and their contractor, NSL, to design and deliver the parking enforcement trial. A timetable for NSL’s Civil Enforcement Officers (CEO) was developed to provide morning (0800-0900) and afternoon (1445-1545) enforcement presence around five junior and infant schools in Walmley and Minworth Ward.

Page 1 of 4 3.4. The five schools were The Deanery Church of England Primary School, Holy Cross Catholic Primary School, Minworth Junior and Infant School, The Shrubbery School and Walmley Infant and Junior Schools.

4. Trial Results

4.1. The trial began on 01/10/19 and was completed on 17/12/19. A total of 108 hours of additional enforcement activity was delivered over 54 days in Walmley and Minworth ward. 4.2. The quantitative results of the trial enforcement activity are shown in Table One. 4.3. In total there were twelve Penalty Charge Notifications (PCNs) issued across the ten week trial period with the majority around Minworth Junior and Infant School. 4.4. The number of cars ‘moved on’ was 76 with these relatively evenly distributed across the trial locations bar Minworth Junior and Infant School, which saw roughly three times as many vehicles moved on.

Table One: Trial Enforcement Outcomes by School

School PCNs Issued Vehicles Moved Enforcement Visits

Deanery 2 8 22

Holy Cross 0 13 18

Minworth J&I 10 33 22

Shrubbery 0 12 23

Walmley J&I 0 10 28

Total 12 76 113

4.5. On average during the trial, 0.2 PCNs were issued and 1.5 cars were moved on per day. 4.6. Based on travel habit data from the 2018 National Travel Survey1 and the intake of each trial school2, there are an estimated 848 car trips made per day across the five trial school locations. Based on this and the daily impact shown in 4.5, less than 1% of vehicle users were affected by the trial. 4.7. The results in 4.5 and 4.6 can be partially explained by the traffic enforcement circumstances around each trial location. Parking on a ‘zigzag’ is an immediate PCN if witnessed by a CEO but the area covered by these is limited. Parking on double yellow lines is not an immediate PCN offence as loading and unloading is accepted for a brief period. A CEO would be required to witness and time such an infraction

1 https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-travel-survey-2018 2 https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/download/downloads/id/10432/primary_schools_admission_arrangements_2020.pdf

Page 2 of 4 before issuing a PCN, and inevitably the vehicle moves on within the permissible period. 4.8. The qualitative result of the trial, anecdotally shared via NSL’s officers, is that the presence of a hi-vis enforcement officer was often enough to stop illegal or inconsiderate parking without the need for a PCN to be issued, with cars either moving on of their own accord when a hi-vis CEO was present or not stopping at all. 4.9. The sustainability of any behavioural change derived from the additional enforcement trial is hard to prove. The quantitative results show minimal enforcement intervention around trial schools and suggest either a lack of infractions or a lack of enforceable traffic measures, yet qualitative evidence suggests the presence of an ‘authority figure’ persuades all but a small minority of motorists to act legally and considerately.

5. Further Enforcement Activity

5.1. Should the Town Council wish to progress with further additional parking enforcement activity around schools, NSL have provided costs to run a town-wide service from 01/04/20 to 20/07/20, ending in line with the school summer holidays. 5.2. This proposal would provide 123 additional enforcement visits spread over 64 days covering 27 junior and infant schools in Sutton Coldfield. Each day would comprise morning (0800-0900) and afternoon (1445-1545) enforcement activity at a different school. 5.3. The proposed schools covered by this activity and an estimate of additional enforcement visits each would receive is shown in Table Two.

Table Two: Proposed Additional Enforcement Activity by School (April to July 2020) School Name Visits School Name Visits Banners Gate Primary School 5 Moor Hall Primary School 4 Boldmere Infant & Junior Schools 5 New Hall Primary and Children's Centre 4 Coppice Primary School 5 New Oscott Primary School 4 Four Oaks Primary School 4 Penns Primary School 5 Highclare Preparatory School 4 St Joseph's Catholic Primary School 5 Hill West Primary School 4 St Nicholas Catholic Primary School 5 Holland House Infant School & Nursery 4 The Bridge School 5 Hollyfield Primary School 4 The Deanery CoE Primary School 5 Holy Cross Catholic Primary School 4 The Shrubbery School 6 Langley School 4 Town Junior School 6 Little Sutton Primary School 4 Walmley Infant and Junior Schools 6 Hill Primary School 4 Whitehouse Common Primary School 5 Mere Green Primary School 4 Primary School 4 Minworth Junior and Infant School 4

Page 3 of 4 5.4. The cost for one CEO to deliver the additional enforcement service outlined in Table Two is £2,011.92. An second CEO can be funded for a further £2,011.92 should the Town Council wish to provide a higher frequency of enforcement activity. 5.5. Any further enforcement activity provided would be monitored as per the trial period. Quantitative data on PCNs issues and vehicles moved on would be provided weekly along with anecdotal evidence of impact. Other measures to review the ongoing effectiveness of the Town Council’s investment in this service would be explored and developed. This may include ad hoc observation of school parking by Town Council officers or engaging with school leaders on the perceived impact. 5.6. The impact of the proposed additional enforcement activity would be reviewed in July and a report bought to the next suitable Planning and Highways Committee.

6. Recommendations 6.1. That Committee: a) Note the results of the trail enforcement activity; b) Recommends to Full Council that further parking enforcement activity be commissioned to cover 27 junior and infant schools across Sutton Coldfield for the remainder of the school year; c) Recommends to Full Council that a budget of up to £4,023.84 is allocated for this work.

Chris Hurst Assistant CEO

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