Agenda item

This report presents Members with information received to date regarding School Travel Plans.

The committee received a report which presented further information relating to the review that they were undertaking on School Travel Plans.

Officers clarified the following points in the report:

Paragraph 3:26 travel plans had been produced since the present post-holders had been appointed but it should be noted that School Travel Plan Co-ordinators had been in place prior to the current incumbents.

Paragraph 4:Although it may be necessary for an action plan to be in place for a two-year period in order to ascertain longer term benefits and to indicate if the benefits were being sustained, the impact of a travel plan becomes evident much sooner than this.  An example of this was a decrease in car use at York High School following the introduction of a plan.  In some cases the initial success eventually reached a plateau and hence it was important to maintain the momentum.

School Travel Action Plans

The Committee gave consideration to the action plans that had been submitted and considered which schools should be visited as part of the process of identifying factors in high performing travel plans as well as the challenges faced by schools.

Members noted that the school travel plans were variable in quality.  Whilst it was recognised that the plans had to be tailored to meet a school’s particular needs, concerns were expressed that some of the plans had been accepted by planning officers when they had been submitted as part of a planning application but they did not meet government standards in terms of school travel plans.

Visits to Schools

Members considered the arrangements for their visits to schools and indicated their availability to attend.  The arrangements would be finalised by email following the meeting.

Members considered the draft parent/carer Travel Plan Survey (Annex B of the report).  It was noted that, as part of the process of drawing up a plan, parents would have been consulted and were likely to have been requested to complete a similar form.  Concerns were expressed at the resource implications of issuing the survey and it was agreed that the information could be obtained through other means, including the proposed discussions with travel plan co-ordinators.

Consideration was given to the draft letter to schools (Annex E of the report) and amendments were agreed. 

Car Parking in the Vicinity of Schools

Discussion took place regarding parking in the vicinity of schools and the problems that this caused for pedestrians and cyclists.  Officers were asked if the Local Authority was able to support schools in tackling this issue.  They gave details of the following initiatives:

• They were able to carry out postcode plotting to inform schools as to the areas from which pupils and staff were travelling.  This enabled schools to encourage car sharing.  The different start and finishing times for primary and secondary schools meant that it would be more difficult to extend the car sharing between the two phases but such problems could be addressed through the provision of after-school clubs. 
• Previously a page had been funded on CareShareYork but this had ceased for financial reasons and because the level of use was low.  It was noted that most schools preferred to share with others in the local community.
• Many of the complaints relating to parking outside of schools came from neighbours.  Many schools made considerable efforts to address this issue.
• Some schools had introduced park and stride schemes .
• There were ongoing issues in respect of yellow lines and enforcement.  In some cases the introduction of yellow lines resulted in the problems occurring further away from the school.

It was agreed that it would be useful to receive data in respect of the distances travelled by parents who dropped their child off at school whilst they were on their way to work.

Partnership Working

Members agreed on the importance of partnership working to ensure the success of school travel plans.  They noted that some plans had involved parish councils, residents’ associations, the police and other sections of the local community.  The role of the Governing Body in supporting the successful implementation of travel plans was also discussed, as was the possibility of schools working together and sharing school travel plan co-ordinators.

School Crossing Patrol Officers

Discussion took place regarding the difficulties that arose in recruiting school crossing patrol officers.  It was pleasing to note that there had recently been some success in recruitment but staff turnover meant that the issues in respect of recruitment were ongoing.

Youth Council

Members agreed that, as part of the review, it would be useful to receive the views of the Youth Council.

School Travel Initiatives

Officers gave details of forthcoming travel initiatives.  Members’ support was sought in promoting the Jack Archer Award in the schools with which they were involved.

RESOLVED:(i)         That the following schools be visited as part of the

process of gaining further information on school travel plans:

·        York High School

·        Burton Green Primary School

·        English Martyrs’ School

·        Manor CE School

·        Huntington Primary School

·        St Wilfrid’s RC Primary School

·        All Saints’ RC School (reserve)

(ii)That details of the arrangements for the visits be finalised by email following the meeting.

(iii)That, prior to the visits, the questions that would form the focus of the discussions with the school travel plan co-ordinators and pupils would be forwarded to the school.  Officers would support Members in preparing the questions and these would be agreed by email.

(iv)That copies of the travel plans for the schools selected for the visits be forwarded to Members electronically prior to the visits taking place.

(v)That a parent/carer survey not be undertaken as part of the review.

(vi)That the draft school letter (Annex E of the report) be approved subject to the amendments agreed to reflect the decisions detailed above.

(vii)That representatives from parking enforcement and the planning department be invited to attend the next meeting.

(viii)That the Youth Council be notified of the scrutiny review and invited to contribute their views.

REASON:      To progress this review in line with scrutiny procedures and protocol.