THURROCK councillors have agreed to set up a group to deal with illegal parking outside schools.

The first meeting of the council's new place scrutiny committee included a debate on whether to set up a task and finish group to explore "innovative" solutions to the perennial problem of nuisance parking by parents outside the borough's schools.

The ten-week project, which will begin in September, will include input from councillors, schools, parents and school children.

The group's findings will be reported back to the committee.

Cllr Paul Arnold, Conservative councillor for Ockendon said he believed better enforcement action was the answer.

He said: "To me the fear factor is one of the key things we do need to get into parents because it's the fear of prosecution or further penalties that will actually stop them parking illegally and abusing the area they are visiting

"I can see parents parking blatantly where they shouldn't because they just know they are not going to get caught so I think enforcement is the answer to it. It's the only way we're going to deal with it."

However, Michael Dineen, assistant director for counter fraud, enforcement, community safety and public protection, an educational approach would be more effective.

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He said: "Enforcement isn't necessarily the answer, a change of attitudes is. It really isn't going to solve it if we had parking attendants at every double yellow line in the borough because there are procedures that need to be followed whilst those tickets are being issued and it would mean not all enforcement could take place.

"Enforcement can play its part but I don't believe it is the entirety of how we would solve this problem."

The enforcement team currently works on a rota, moving around to different schools but has failed to deter parents in some areas of the borough.

Sue Shinnick, Labour councillor for South Chafford, said: "Each area has got different issues. For me it would be good to go round each area to have a look.

"In South Chafford I get loads of emails regarding it. Quite often I'm up there at 8.30am with the headteachers surveying it all. It's unbelievable what goes on so if we can fix one little thing it will be a great result.