Council chiefs have vowed to maintain strict enforcement of illegal parking near schools in 2025.
Officers issued more than 1,300 fines at 12 schools in North East Lincolnshire in 2024. They have compiled a list of the schools outside of which the highest number of offences have been captured on CCTV cameras.
The aim is to keep children safe as they arrive and leave. The investment in road safety at schools came after residents near Cleethorpes Academy blocked off the approach road on Halton Place with wheelie bins.
They were dubbed “the wheelie bin warriors” as they attempted to stop parents and carers collecting children by parking in front of their driveways. In 2022, North East Lincolnshire Council installed temporary CCTV cameras at Signhills Academy, Cleethorpes. Old Clee Academy was the second school to have cameras installed.
Since then more and more schools have asked for cameras to stop illegal parking. Drivers caught stopping on the yellow zig zag lines will receive a £70 penalty charge notice. This is reduced to £35 if paid within 14 days.
The aim of the scheme is to enforce the ‘keep clear’ restrictions more effectively and help change behaviour long-term. Ultimately, it helps to ensure children are arriving and leaving school safely by minimising the risk of nearby traffic and vehicles.
To ensure all parents are reliably informed, there is a three-step process. Prior warning is given before cameras go live with parents being informed of what is to come. Those deemed to be illegally parking for the next two weeks are issued with a warning letter, but not fined. After that, PCNs are issued by enforcement teams.
Councillor Ron Shepherd, Portfolio Holder for Safer and Stronger Communities, said: “Whilst this is a positive result, it is worrying that there were 1,364 incidents where people continued to park illegally.
“These actions endanger children and other pedestrians in the area. School staff inform us that the cameras are working to deter people from stopping illegally and we will continue to do this to make our school gates safe for everyone.
“We will robustly continue to enforce in school areas and work in consultation with schools to ensure the restrictions are adhered to.”
Over 2024, 12 schools took part in the scheme, issuing the 1,364 fines between them:
- Great Coates Primary School – 9
- Lisle Marsden Church of England Primary Academy – 125
- Macaulay Primary Academy – 41
- Old Clee Primary Academy – 119
- Ormiston South Parade School – 109
- Queen Mary Avenue Infant and Nursery School – 198
- Reynolds Academy – 25
- Scartho Junior Academy – 152
- Signhills Academy – 66
- Stanford Junior and Infant School – 51
- Waltham Leas Primary Academy – 134
- Welholme Academy – 335