Parking at Schools - October 2025 Update

Parking at Schools Task and Finish Group Update

Background

• Following the Parking at Schools Task & Finish Group review 2024/2025, Thurrock Council developed a toolkit to encourage walking and cycling to school. For information, please see the online link to the Parking at Schools Task and Finish Group Toolkit: Thurrock Council
• A pilot programme was proposed to combine “soft” measures (behavioural change, awareness campaigns, walking buses, Park & Stride) with “hard” measures (infrastructure improvements).

Pilot Programme

• To improve collaboration with selected schools and local stakeholders.
• Recruitment of a dedicated officer (funded role, starting 2026) to support schools with engagement and promotion of active travel.
• Trial of at least one School Street (road closures during drop-off/pick-up), with digital enforcement in one case.
• Infrastructure improvements within a 1km radius of schools (footways, crossings, cycle routes).
• Data analysis of pupil locations to identify key routes and intervention sites.

Engagement with Schools

• Initial invitations have been sent (Summer 2025).
• 3 schools have expressed an interest: Herringham Primary (Chadwell St Mary), Lansdowne School and St Mary’s Catholic Primary (Tilbury).
• Thera are ongoing efforts to expand participation, including targeted outreach to Tilbury Pioneer and Chadwell Primary.
• Barriers: schools are concerned about workload, but a dedicated officer is expected to improve uptake.

Next Steps

• Autumn 2025: Continue school engagement, establish cross-departmental working group.
• Late 2025: Finalise scheme proposals.
• Early 2026: Recruit officer, begin rollout.
• Spring 2026: First interventions delivered (Easter onwards).
• By March 2026: Progress update to Cabinet and Scrutiny Committee.
• Full delivery expected by March 2028.