RESIDENTS living around Thurrock schools are said to be enduring "utter misery" with almost daily fights with parents who block driveways and roads while dropping their children off.

Joycelyn Redsell, Conservative councillor for Little Thurrock Blackshots, tabled a motion at the borough's full council meeting, calling for a "task and finish" group to look at tackling school parking across the borough.

She said: "Catchment area is a problem now because people can't walk to school because there are children coming from too far away to go to the nearest school. We have children who can't go to the local school and could walk but cannot attend because of pupils coming from further away,

"Yellow lines don't solve the problem as it just moves traffic further on. We've got to change the way do it because we are not solving the problem."

Cllr John Kent, leader of the Labour Group said: "I think we've wasted two years. It was June 2021 when councillor Lynn Worral brought a similar motion, although it was based on three schools in our ward where there is a particular problem.

"Residents of Ward Avenue in Grays have to put up with utterly intolerable congestion of a morning and afternoon. They have to put up with physical fights in the streets which happen almost every day. Parents taking their kids to school have to put up with abuse and swearing between motorists and residents that are unable to get out of their drives and properties for three-quarters -an-hour twice a day. I do wish members had taken this more seriously previously."

Cllr Kent added: "I'm glad there appears to be a change of approach and I hope that something comes of this.

"We've got two years wasted. Two years that has meant that a number of residents have lived through a period of utter misery."

Cllr Vikki Hartstean, Labour councillor for Chafford and North Stifford, said: "I have been contacted repeatedly by residents who are having their lives made a misery because they happen to live in the vicinity of Tudor Court School in Chafford Hundred.

"I have seen photographic evidence and have witnessed myself first hand the situation they find themselves in. Residents report they are having to plan their entire lives around the start and the end of the school day.

"Driveways are blocked, pavements are parked on and street corners and double yellow lines and whole road entrances are parked across often preventing residents from entering their entire street."

The council supported the motion.