Public Space Protection Orders considered to enhance road safety around schools

Chaos as parents drop collect children at Kingsway Park High School

A pilot study into the use Public Space Protection Orders to enhance road safety around schools in the borough has been welcomed by Rochdale Borough Council.

A motion was moved by Councillor Pat Sullivan and seconded by Councillor Jane Howard at the Council meeting on Wednesday.

“This Council welcomes the future consultation on the potential use of Public Space Protection Orders in the Town Centre and recommends the introduction of similar Orders to enhance road safety outside Schools.

“As a Council, we are committed to protecting the safety and welfare of the Borough’s children, which is often put at risk by irresponsible and dangerous parking outside schools. This Council calls upon the Cabinet to develop proposals to trial Public Space Protection Orders around schools with known parking problems to tackle the associated risk to children, parents and carers; and following a period of monitoring to establish the success of this initiative, the Council should explore options to roll out a programme of Protection Orders around schools.”

Councillor Sullivan added: “What we would like to propose is one or two pilot studies of putting PSPO round schools.

“Even though we work for everybody in this borough, old, young, medium, it’s children first, last and always. And I don’t think we are making sure they are protected from their parents and carers who drop them off at school.

“Some research has been done by the Road Safety Analysis research body on what happens outside schools. They found every month, more than 1,000 British children are injured on roads near schools. Between 2000 and 2011, there was a total of 85, 841 children injured on roads in a 500metre radius of a school- the equivalent of 1,190 a month. That is totally unacceptable; we can’t go on like this.

“We’ve all seen them park outside the school, where they aren’t supposed to park anyway, and drop off the children. We have to stop this. One way at looking at it is through the public protection order. They ought to be walking the children to school; we’ve got obesity problems in this borough. What about walking, buses? No, they’ll drive half a mile from their house to the school and block up all the roads- and that causes accidents.”

Councillor Howard seconded the motion, adding she was fully supportive as a Governor of a local school where a child received ‘life-changing injuries because of poor parking’.

Councillor Heakin, who has worked as a headteacher, also supported the motion. He said: “Over the years, I’ve witnessed many disputes, many arguments, many fights amongst parents wanting to drop off or pick up the child as close as possible to the school gates. I’ve seen many distressed children.”

He added: “I was once assaulted by a parent who wanted to drive his van onto a playground full of children. I opened his van door, removed his keys and called the police. His reaction was to assault me and another poor teacher who was innocently stood next to me. These are just typical examples of disputes that go on before and after school.

"I welcome this move to enhance safety around schools. This proposal will enhance what we already have.”

Councillor Sullivan said advice would be sought on how schools are selected for the pilot study and discussed with Councillor Donna Martin, Cabinet Member for Children's Services, and the Council's Highways department.