Proposals to ease traffic congestion and parking issues at schools

Recommendations to help address parking and congestion issues near schools in the District have been backed by St Albans City and District Council’s Local Services Scrutiny Committee.

Recommendations were made to the Scrutiny Committee by the Schools and Coaches Task and Finish Group at a meeting on 3 April. The Scrutiny Committee set up the Group after residents and councillors raised congestion and parking issues caused by coaches and traffic to and from some schools.

While looking into these issues, the Task and Finish Group received feedback and evidence from more than 100 residents, residents’ associations, businesses and schools.

Its recommendations include proposals to alleviate congestion caused by the transportation of pupils particularly in the Romeland, High Oaks and Upper Lattimore Road areas of St Albans. There are also proposals for the behaviour of coach drivers to be monitored and for changes to be made to some parking restrictions near schools. Many of the recommendations require the co-operation of various stakeholders, including schools, for them to be implemented.

Additional recommendations were also made during the Scrutiny Committee meeting.

As part of the series of recommendations, it is proposed that the District Council:

·        encourages regular dialogue between residents, councillors, schools and Hertfordshire County Council to aid the sharing of best practice regarding coach transport for pupils.

·        reviews parking enforcement patterns at schools.

·        investigates seeking permission from the Government to issue fixed penalty charge notices to drivers leaving their engines running while parked outside schools.

·        introduces coach-only parking bays large enough for two to three vehicles on Upper Lattimore Road to help improve traffic flows around Loreto College, St Albans.

·        conducts a safety audit prior to consulting on proposals for coach-only parking bays in Romeland Hill during school drop-off and pick-up times.

·        works on a proposal to introduce double height kerbs at High Oaks to protect verges nearTownsend School.

·        investigates the extension of existing parking restrictions in Townsend Avenue.

All the recommendations will now be referred to Cabinet and those relating to parking restrictions will be submitted to the Council’s Car Parking Working Party for consideration.

Councillor Chris White, Chair of the Local Services Scrutiny Committee for St Albans City and District Council said: “Residents have complained repeatedly about congestion and parking issues caused by buses and coaches transporting pupils to and from particular schools in St Albans. The Task and Finish Group was set up by the Local Services Scrutiny Committee to look into this and has made a series of detailed recommendations. The Scrutiny Committee is happy to support the recommendations and to back the need for continued discussions between schools, councillors and residents to help address these issues.”

 

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