The Western Area Committee requested that the Swale JTB consider the following:  Noted that there are incidents of buses parking on double yellow lines outside schools in the Sittingbourne area, parking around junctions and obstructing the view of the road.

The Chair introduced the item following a request from the Western Area Committee, who had noted: “There are incidents of buses parking on double yellow lines outside schools in the Sittingbourne area, parking around junctions and obstructing the view of the road.”  The Chair reported that he was aware that this was a constant issue within an area of his KCC division, namely Bell Road and Remembrance Avenue, Sittingbourne where coaches dropped-off and collected pupils from three schools (Fulston Manor, Highsted Grammar, and Borden Grammar).  He further reported that he had paid for an extension of the double yellow lines in Bell Road, to ensure all vehicles were kept away from the traffic islands in Bell Road.

The Chair said he understood that school buses parking in Adelaide Drive, Sittingbourne had mostly been resolved following the introduction of the dedicated bus stops.

Councillor Simon Clark a Ward Member for Homewood ward said that he had spoken some time ago to the Seafront & Engineer Manager (SBC) about buses parking in Bell Road, and he had advised that any buses parked on the double yellow lines were being moved on by the parking attendants.  Councillor Clark said that the situation was ok some of the time and really bad at other times with buses parked along the Cemetery in Bell Road.  He suggested that the Council’s parking enforcement team provide a formal schedule of times for parking attendants to attend the area and move the buses on.

Councillor Paul Stephen a Ward Member for Woodstock ward, also the Chair of the Western Area Committee, said that often the school buses arrived much earlier than they needed to.  He explained that the situation of the buses parking in Bell Road was becoming very dangerous for other road users and pedestrians.  He considered that possible solutions could be that the buses parked off-road somewhere else, or staggered their drop-off and pick-up times so they were not all there at the same time.  Otherwise, enforcement of the double yellow lines was the only option.

The Chair invited Members to make comments, and points raised included:

·         If any of the bus companies wanted to utilise a school property to park then that was for the bus companies to liaise with the school, not SBC;

·         suggested that SBC’s parking enforcement speak direct to the bus companies about the issue;

·         maybe ask KCC if they had any funding available that Fulston Manor could use to improve the area for bus parking; and

·         enforcement was probably the only option.

The Chair moved the following motion:  That the Chair of the Swale JTB write to SBC’s parking enforcement team and Kent Police asking them to improve enforcement of the double yellow lines in Bell Road, Sittingbourne to ensure that school buses were not illegally parked.  This was seconded by Councillor Simon Clark.  On being put to the vote the motion was agreed by Members.

Recommended:

(1)      That the Chair of the Swale JTB writes to Swale Borough Council’s parking enforcement team and Kent Police asking them to improve enforcement of the double yellow lines in Bell Road, Sittingbourne to ensure that school buses were not illegally parked.