Rotherham: Use of CCTV begins outside schools

Roads around schools will be monitored by the Parking Services Team from Rotherham Council who will be armed with a new mobile CCTV system geared to tackling illegal and dangerous parking across the borough.

Installed in a clearly marked council vehicle, the new £70,000 CCTV system will allow the team to take images of illegally parked vehicles anywhere Traffic Regulation Orders are in place and where stopping is prohibited at any time.

Evidence will be reviewed by a qualified civil enforcement officer and If appropriate, penalty charge notices will then be issued through the post to the registered keeper of the vehicle.

The full cost of the system, which is approved by the Department for Transport and is already in use by other authorities such as Barnsley and Sheffield City Council, was obtained from the South Yorkshire Safer Roads Partnership.

Coun Gerald Smith, the cabinet member for regeneration and development for Rotherham Council, said he believes the camera will act as a real deterrent to people who persist in illegal parking.

He added: “We are sure that it will improve road safety and deal with concerns in many local communities, particularly outside schools, where bad parking is an on-going problem. This is obviously a very portable system that can be used at any specific location that is experiencing parking problems.”

“Training on the system has been carried out throughout the summer and warning letters have been sent out to drivers who have been parking/stopping illegally; but from now on the new camera will be taking pictures ‘for real’.”