Council could put cameras up in six areas to crack down on bad driving

Wirral Council is currently introducing automatic numberplate recognition cameras at one school

Wirral Council could put cameras up outside six schools on the Wirral to crack down on bad driving. The council said it is currently introducing automatic numberplate recognition cameras at one school but officers have suggested it could be rolled out more widely,

The plans for new cameras were revealed during an environment and transport committee meeting during a discussion of highway network management plan. Cllr Naomi Graham said she understood the council had applied to get licences for ANPR cameras to help the local authority with the rollout of the School Streets scheme.

This scheme sees roads closed outside certain schools at drop off and pick up times. It’s part of a national initiative to encourage parents to cycle or walk with their children to school as well as make the area outside the school entrance safe.

There are currently six schools that are part of the programme which include Greenleas Primary School in Wallasey, Liscard Primary School in Liscard, Christ Church CE School in Birkenhead, St Albans Primary School in Wallasey, St George's Primary School in Wallasey, and Raeburn Primary School in Bromborough.

In response to the question from Cllr Graham, Paul Traynor, assistant director for highways and infrastructure, said: “We have been granted the powers to enforce at School Streets and we are currently in the process of rolling out that enforcement activity as we speak. Clearly at the moment we are focused on the existing School Streets that are in place.

“We have a wider programme to follow that and that will come forward to this committee to determine how best to prioritise that programme. The six School Streets that are currently in we have been successful in securing the powers and we are rolling out that technology now.”

A council report published ahead of the meeting said councils “are required to demonstrate tangible evidence that their traffic reduction measures are having a positive effect on highway operation” and a way of doing this was using ANPR.

A Wirral Council spokesperson said: “The council is implementing ANPR technology for enforcement at a school street location, this will be evaluated and reviewed before consideration is given to rolling out to other school street sites. The enforcement will be targeting moving traffic contraventions.”

Moving traffic offences include making banned turns, driving through a ‘No Entry’ sign, driving in a route for buses and taxis only, driving through a school street, pedestrian and cycle zone, and entering a yellow box junction when the exit is not clear. If found to be ignoring traffic restrictions, drivers may be issued with a penalty charge notice (PCN) for £70, which is reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days of being issued.