Council wants to crack down on schools ‘parking chaos’

Rory Sheehan, Local Democracy Reporter

Flintshire Council is looking to crack down on the parking chaos outside the county’s schools.

A ‘Task and Finish’ group is to be set up to look at the problem, which was brought up at the authority’s Environment and Economy scrutiny committee this week.

Buckley Pentrobin Cllr Mike Peers (Ind) said he had personal experience of issues in his ward when dropping his grandchildren off at school.

He suggested the issue be looked at by the environment scrutiny committee, as well as education scrutiny, as Streetscene enforcement officers fall under the responsibility of environment.

“I suggest it stays with this committee because of the parking enforcement”, Cllr Peers said.

“The real chaos and the problems are caused by lack of enforcement.

“That parking enforcement should be carried out by enforcement officers who are part of Streetscene and not part of the Education scrutiny committee.

“These problems go back as far as 2020. There have been promises that things will be sorted out, but the evidence dictates otherwise.”

He added: “I would like it on our Forward Work programme to look at the issue of parking outside of schools.

“I’ve dropped the grandchildren off in the last couple of weeks and to be honest the yellow lines might as well be painted black – unless there’s an officer there everyone can see, in which case everyone parks appropriately.

“It’s a serious problem that affects all schools in Flintshire but mainly the ones in my ward are of concern.”

‘Bigger issue’

Chairing the meeting, Shotton East and Shotton Higher Cllr David Evans (Lab) said it was felt that it was a “bigger issue” than one just for enforcement and that schools needed to be involved too.

It is to be looked at by a Task and Finish group with members of the council from both the Environment and Economy scrutiny, and the Education Youth and Culture scrutiny committees.

Mold Broncoed Cllr Teresa Carberry (Lab) added: “As chair of the Education Youth and Culture scrutiny committee I would welcome a joint working group.

“It’s a perennial problem which I have lots of emails on. It’s my understanding that actually the Streetscene officers are not able to enforce the parking, nor indeed are the PCSOs so this is a matter for North Wales Police – obviously we would need to be involved.”