Drivers to get fines for parking outside schools

Parents will face fines for parking outside schools in East Cheshire as part of a parking-free pilot scheme to improve safety.

New automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras will be installed to help enforce stopping restrictions outside Ivy Bank Primary and Marlborough Primary in Macclesfield, and Manor Park and St Vincent's primaries in Knutsford, over the next few days.

Under the Safe Haven Outside Schools pilot, offending drivers will face £35 fixed penalty fines, which rise to £70 if not paid within 14 days.

If the scheme proves a success, Cheshire East Council said it could be rolled out across the borough.

Mark Goldsmith, chair of Cheshire East Council's highways and transport committee, said: "This is an important trial scheme that seeks to improve safety outside schools – particularly at the beginning and end of the school day, which are busy and congested times.

"Parking issues around school start and finishing times are a long-standing concern for this council, with typical enforcement measures sometimes proving to be only mildly effective and with fleeting impact on inconsiderate parking.

"We need to encourage more people to walk and cycle to school or park their vehicles and drop off pupils further away from schools to improve safety for all students, parents and residents in the area."

The pilot project is being run in collaboration with Derby City Council, which operates the scheme within its own borough and other areas.

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