Parking near schools could be banned under Sheffield pollution plans
Councillors are planning to spend £1 million raised through CAZ charges on tackling pollution near schools
£1 million raised through Clean Air Zone (CAZ) charges in Sheffield could be spent on tackling pollution around schools.
The council is planning new schemes, which include expanding a programme preventing parking near schools, and creating more 20mph roads.
Other proposals include creating new green plan walls, designed to trap harmful pollutants and carbon dioxide.
Councillor Denise Fox said: “What we are told over and over again is the enforcement of idling engines outside schools and although we have the signs people ignore them, they park across no-go lines and obviously when we get the enforcement officers there, they disappear, then the day after they’re back again.”
She asked if red lines were being considered to enforce school parking rules, adding “it’s horrendous, particularly my area of Birley, but I’ve witnessed it also at other schools”.
Tom Finnegan-Smith, council head of strategic transport and infrastructure, replied: “I absolutely agree there are real challenges around people’s compliance, that consistent enforcement is essential.
"We do have a limited resource in terms of ‘boots on the street’ and they do go to priority areas whenever possible, and also respond to reports of issues.”
He said that drivers must be advised to switch off their engines and refuse to comply before they can be fined.
There is already enforcement on all city zigzag markings so anyone seen parking could get an immediate penalty.
The CAZ scheme has been in place since February 2023 and the forecast surplus for the 2023-24 financial year is £536k.
As the number of non-compliant vehicles drops, income will gradually decrease.
The committee was told that there has been a reduction of 64 per cent in the proportion of non-compliant vehicles in the CAZ area since the scheme has been running.
This includes an 81 per cent decrease for all public hire vehicles and a 52 per cent drop for coaches and buses.