Agenda item

 

To receive and consider the report on the findings and recommendations of the Improving Places Select Commission Scrutiny Review – School Road Safety.

 

The report is a result of the in-depth Review completed by a working group of Members of the Improving Places Select Commission, through meetings and evidence gathering sessions conducted between October 2025 and July 2026.

 

 

The Chair introduced the item and asked the Governance Advisor to explain to Members the governance process and next steps for the School Road Safety Review (Review).

 

The Governance Advisor explained that once IPSC Members had approved the recommendations set out within the Review Report, the Report would then go to OSMB for approval at its October 2026 meeting, with a recommendation to progress to Cabinet in November 2026. Once Cabinet had received the Recommendations, it would have 2 months to respond to them, as per the Council’s Constitution. A report would then come back into Cabinet setting out its formal response to the Review Recommendations.

 

Councillor Tinsley, as Chair of the Review Group, explained that the Review had originated from a motion presented to Council in 2023, which sought to address ongoing issues relating to road safety around schools. In particular, the motion looked to examine four key areas: crossing operative safety around schools; parking and zigzag enforcement; initiatives such as School Streets; and the development of school Active Travel Plans.

 

The Review Group had taken part in a series of meetings and research exercises over the nine-month period of the Review. The Review had drawn on a wide range of frontline expertise – from officers at the council and Sheffield City Council, along with partners at SYMCA. Feedback from elected members and local schools regarding issues experienced in their areas had also been considered.

 

Councillor Tinsley explained that from the information gathered, the Report and recommendations within it came under five key pillars that Members considered key to future progress with regard to school road safety:

 

·       Improved Cross-Directorate Working – a “one Council” approach, with better data sharing across council services.

 

·       Data, Monitoring and Strategic Alignment – enhanced data gathering and monitoring, with recommendations for a comprehensive borough-wide survey of schools, more robust tracking of near misses and the alignment of local interventions and strategies with broader regional transport strategies.

 

·       Funding Development - maximise on external funding opportunities via SYMCA and potential Active Travel grants.

 

·       School Engagement & Active Travel - further investment in this area would help to embed Active Travel initiatives and promote positive behavioural change.

 

·       Enforcement and Crossing Patrol - targeted enforcement and increased technical investment, alongside stronger support for frontline school crossing patrol operatives to tackle illegal parking and inconsiderate driving outside schools.

 

Councillor Tinsley stressed that it had become apparent to Members in the course of the Review that a holistic approach would be required to drive meaningful improvements in school road safety. None of the key pillars could work in isolation – for example: enforcement technology and mobile CCTV would mean little without safe infrastructure; travel plans would fail without dedicated Active Travel Officers supporting schools; and survey data would only be useful if cross-directorate teams collaborated under a unified School Road Safety Strategy.

 

Councillor Tinsley took the opportunity to publicly thank all of the Members involved in the Review, all of the officers that provided information and support, and the Governance Advisor in supporting the work of the Review Group.

 

Resolved:-

 

1)    That the contents of the report be noted; and

 

2)    It is agreed that the following recommendations be submitted to the Overview and Scrutiny Management Board for consideration and onward endorsement to Cabinet:

 

a)    Improved Cross-Directorate Working

 

i)      Develop a cross-directorate map of roles and responsibilities (e.g. highways, school engagement, enforcement, crossing patrol) to establish and embed stronger partnership working across Council services, including improvements to internal reporting and decision-making systems and processes aligned across directorates.

 

ii)     Consider the feasibility of establishing a cross-directorate working group (that meets regularly, with clear terms of reference and a governance structure) to oversee school road safety in Rotherham. The aim of this working group would be to drive and coordinate delivery and provide increased accountability and visibility.

 

iii)   Any established school road safety working group should be launched as the front-facing, main point of contact for collaboration with residents, schools, Councillors, and partners related to school road safety, to ensure the Council’s commitment to school road safety is both visible and accessible. Consider the creation of a dedicated section of the Council website on school road safety to support this.

 

iv)   Work together with ward Councillors to progress the development of ward-specific road safety plans, each to contain a section on road safety issues around local schools. These plans would inform each ward’s CAP development plans.

 

v)    In the spirit of the new Neighbourhood Leadership Strategy, council services should endeavour to keep Councillors regularly informed on any new plans relating to transport and school road safety and/or works due to be carried out within their wards at the earliest possible opportunity.

 

b)    Data, Monitoring and Strategic Alignment

 

i)      Take steps to improve baseline data collection around schools (e.g traffic, parking, reported incidents, travel behaviours). Establishment of centralised, cross-directorate incident reporting and escalation processes would help to identify areas of concern and need, which in turn, would inform the prioritisation of potential projects and pilot school locations.

 

ii)     Develop a coordinated, borough-wide School Road Safety Strategy, to be aligned with SYMCA’s regional action plans and travel strategies – such as the new South Yorkshire Transport Strategy and the Walking, Wheeling & Cycling Strategy.

 

iii)   Explore what regional support may be available via the Safer Roads Partnership and the Active Lives & Safer Roads teams at SYMCA, for example, access to shared data mapping tools/systems and funding opportunities.

 

iv)   Consider the coordination of projects with neighbouring local authorities via SYMCA, which would provide opportunities for enhanced economies of scale.

 

c)    Funding Development

 

i)      Establish a defined and protected allocation for school road safety projects within wider capital transport funding to ensure longer-term funding streams that can support the shift to a more proactive and co-ordinated approach.

 

ii)     Use the recommended enhanced data collection models to strengthen the evidence base to support future funding bids. Develop a clear pipeline of projects to maximise use of Transport for City Regions and Integrated Settlement Active Travel funding via SYMCA to support school road safety.

 

iii)   Work with SYMCA to explore how Rotherham could benefit from the government’s new Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy and the projected £4.5 billion of investment to be made available over the next 5 years.

 

iv)   Develop a balanced programme of low-cost interventions (signage, markings, speed reduction measures) and targeted higher-cost schemes, using the suggested enhanced data collection models to provide evidence to inform and justify the prioritisation of certain schools and schemes.

 

v)    Develop a funding stream to support opportunities for increased work with and support for schools across the borough (see d) School Engagement & Active Travel below).

 

vi)   Strengthen existing work with the Planning team to ensure early identification of any potential section 106 developer funding for specific road safety improvements/schemes.

 

d)    School Engagement & Active Travel

 

i)      Urgently undertake a borough-wide survey of all schools to better understand their concerns and needs regarding school road safety.

 

ii)     Using the results of the survey and enhanced data mapping models (alongside existing knowledge and data), identify a priority list of schools in the borough for targeted intervention (e.g. top 10/20/30).

 

iii)   Give consideration to the provision of additional dedicated School Engagement Officers/Active Travel Officers to strengthen trust and engagement with school leaders and governors. Such officers would be able to support enhanced engagement activities, such as assemblies, parent consultation and the promotion of Active Travel initiatives. This in turn, would help to encourage overall behaviour change from both pedestrians, drivers, and other road users around schools.

 

iv)   Consider the creation of a borough-wide “Junior Road Safety Officer Programme” to allow schools and their pupils to lead on initiatives appropriate to their school settings. This would engage and benefit pupils in taking ownership of schemes to support their schools.

 

v)    Conduct a full exploration of the different Active Travel schemes that are available (e.g Mode Shift Stars) and identify which schools already have an Active Travel Plan in place. Schools need support in applying for accreditation to such schemes and in implementing them, which should form part of the role of any additional School Engagement/Active Travel Officers.

 

vi)   Identify any schools which may be suitable for the establishment of a School Streets pilot scheme, bearing in mind the fact that any School Streets scheme would need to be supported by proven prior active travel initiatives, and an engaged and committed senior leadership team and parent community.

 

vii)  Work towards coordinating any existing initiatives (e.g Bikeability) into a single, coherent offer, introducing more child-centred, “fun first”  campaigns. Invite external experts and teams from SYMCA and neighbouring local authorities to share best practice and success stories.

 

e)    Enforcement & Crossing Patrol

 

i)      Establish better cross-directorate data-sharing systems (as per a) above), to ensure that data collected by the Crossing Patrol and Parking Enforcement teams regarding incidents/near-misses and offences are monitored and used to inform decisions on priority sites and projects.

 

ii)     Consider opportunities for the pilot use of body-cameras by crossing patrollers, giving due regard to safeguarding and data protection concerns.

 

iii)   Conduct a detailed feasibility review into wider camera enforcement rollout of redeployable/static ANPR cameras, including a cost-benefit analysis and identification of suitable pilot locations.

 

iv)   Consider further investment in roaming CCTV vehicles to support compliance and enforcement for parking offences around schools. Capacity for enforcement is currently limited to one CCTV van for all 200+ schools in the borough. A lack of a regular presence leads to inconsistent and ineffective enforcement.

 

v)    Explore the potential for increased engagement with South Yorkshire Police, including a possible joint approach to promoting local anti-parking campaigns and joint responses at problem locations.

 

vi)   Monitor and review forthcoming government guidance on footway parking powers. Consider any opportunities to tie the local enforcement approach into any future RMBC Pavement Parking Policy.