🚦 Medway’s School Streets Scheme: Safety Measure or Revenue Generator?

Over the past year, Medway Council has issued more than £2 million in traffic fines under its new enforcement powers – and many residents are rightly asking: is this about safety, or is it about money?

Figures obtained by Local Authority today confirm what concerned parents, residents, and local schools have long suspected: the School Streets Scheme, alongside Moving Traffic Offence (MTO) enforcement, is turning into a profitable cash cow for the council.

💰 The Numbers Speak Volumes

In just the first year:

• Over 16,950 fines were issued through the School Streets Scheme – with Burnt Oak Primary alone seeing 7,604 fines.
• 35,000 total fines were issued across both School Streets and Moving Traffic Offence schemes.
• This translates to over £2 million in penalties, with School Streets fines accounting for £1.18 million.

That’s nearly one fine every minute during enforcement hours at some locations.

And let’s not forget – the School Streets Scheme only operates for two hours per day, during term time. Yet it has generated an eye-watering volume of penalties.

❌ Flawed Consultation, Poor Implementation

Recent emails shared with us by community leaders reveal how chaotic and ill-prepared the Council’s consultation has been:

• QR codes on leaflets led to broken links – a basic failure of communication.
• Many residents never received consultation letters – including members of the local Rochester City Centre Forum.
• There was no evidence of proper engagement with nearby schools such as St Margaret’s and St Andrew’s – despite the scheme displacing traffic right past their gates.
• A Freedom of Information request exposed that the council relied on assumptions, not proper data, when justifying the scheme’s expansion.

👎 Real Lives Affected

This isn’t just about numbers – it’s about real people being hit unfairly:

• Local professionals such as social workers and educational psychologists have been fined for visiting children in need during school hours.
• Parents, carers, and residents have been caught out by unclear rules and poor signage.
• There is growing evidence of the scheme having minimal impact on actual safety or congestion, with traffic simply being pushed elsewhere.

🎭 A Pattern of Mismanagement

It’s not just traffic schemes. Local Authority also reports the Brook Theatre’s reopening is delayed by two years, and a third of Blue Badge uses in Medway are under investigation for misuse.

The common thread? Lack of transparency, oversight, and community engagement.

💬 What Reform UK Stands For

We believe in:

✅ Genuine road safety, not disguised revenue schemes
✅ Transparent consultation, not broken links and assumptions
✅ Exemptions for essential workers and clear communication for all
✅ Proper investment in safer infrastructure, like crossings and signage
✅ Accountability for Council decisions

🗣 Have Your Say

We’re working with local schools, residents, and business owners to challenge the current scheme and call for common-sense reforms. If you’ve been affected or want to help draft a community petition, get in touch.

Together, let’s put people before penalties.

📩 Contact Cllr David Finch / Cllr John Vye
📧 david.finch@medway.gov.uk / john.vye@medway.gov.uk
🗳 Your Reform UK Councillors – Rochester East & Warren Wood