Sunderland councillors support School Streets motion to tackle parking problems and improve safety

Issues at school pick-up and drop-off times were brought into focus at a recent meeting of Sunderland City Council.

Conservative councillors launched a debate on the impacts of school time congestion, the associated conflict between neighbours and motorists and safety issues for children.

Councillors from all political parties were asked to support a “School Streets” approach, which is used to limit access to certain streets at certain times.

The initiative, which has been brought in at some schools elsewhere in the country, aims to reduce impacts on local residents and improve accessibility for emergency services, as well as wider benefits around safety and air quality.

Sunderland City Council’s Labour leaders stressed the council were already leading on the issue with an ongoing trial at St Bede’s Primary School in Washington which started in April, 2022.

Labour councillor Linda Williams, who submitted an amendment to the Conservative motion, said the learning from the trial would help inform any future School Streets schemes.

The cabinet member for children, learning and skills stressed that the council needed to take a bespoke approach and that any future schemes would involve community consultation.

It was noted that a report would return to the council’s ruling cabinet setting out the next steps, including options of School Streets schemes, once the Washington trial concludes.

The debate on School Streets took place at a full council meeting at City Hall on June 14, 2023.

While some opposition councillors called for a speedier expansion of the scheme, all councillors agreed that school time parking issues were a problem.

Several councillors shared examples of the issue, including cars blocking access to private properties and arguments breaking out when parents were challenged by residents or council enforcement staff.

Conservative councillor Richard Dunn said the issue was “absolute carnage” at several schools in the Barnes ward, from incidents of speeding and cars parked on residents’ driveways to parked cars obstructing visibility.

Councillor Gregory Peacock, Conservative member for St Anne’s ward, said he had witnessed school crossing patrol officers almost being “run down by moving vehicles” and accidents ranging from “minor bumps to cars leaving the highway completely”.

Conservative councillor Michael Dixon said the School Streets scheme in general would help “promote and create better community cohesion”, improve school safety and reduce air pollution.

Elsewhere, Liberal Democrat councillor Heather Fagan said School Streets schemes should be brought forward on a “case by case basis”, along with residents and businesses being consulted.

Councillor Paul Stewart, Labour cabinet secretary, said solutions to school time congestion could include ‘turning points’ within school grounds, or schools “taking control themselves” with staff patrolling streets.

He said that parking campaigns were another potential solution and that “education and behaviour change should always be our first option”.

Conservative councillor Lyall Reed said the original motion “simply opens up the options for councillors and communities to be able to take actions into their own hands and solve a problem that is rather persistent”.

Some said that the success of School Streets schemes would be linked to enforcement, including the use of specialist cameras to record the number plates of vehicles.

Labour councillor Linda Williams added the council had to recognise “each site is unique and each solution is different” and it was important to prevent parking issues being displaced elsewhere.

Cllr Williams continued: “So what can we do in the meantime? I think we need to remind parents of their responsibilities.

“There are parents who park on yellow lines, park dangerously, double park, drive through bus lanes and block drives.

“When confronted they’re often aggressive instead of apologising for their behaviour. Parents who are in this situation need to realise they’re putting their own children at risk as well as their children’s friends”.

After being put to the vote the amended motion won unanimous support.

The agreed motion

This council recognises the horrendous parking problems that can arise around schools at the start and end of the teaching day and expresses its support for a “School Streets” approach as an option that would limit access to the streets in which schools are located to residents and emergency vehicles at such times.

This council therefore welcomes the recent pilot initiative introduced to assess the feasibility of such “Schools Streets” as part of Sunderland Labour’s manifesto commitments to residents of the city.

This council therefore requests that once the learning derived from the pilot scheme is assessed that a report be presented to cabinet on parking options around schools, inclusive of a programme of future ‘School Street’ schemes where they are supported by local residents.