We’re facing £3,500 in parking fines for dropping our granddaughter at school – we had no idea about the news rules

FUMING grandparents have told how they could be facing parking fines of up to £3,500 after accidently flouting new “School Street” rules.

Car owners who had been dropping their kids off outside James Oglethorpe Primary School were allegedly warned about the new changes at the start of term.

The school were the latest to take up the scheme which tackles air pollution, poor health and road danger reduction.

It means parents cannot pick up or drop off outside the school at peak times, forcing kids to walk or cycle to school.

And any caught flouting the rules can face fines of up to £125 for each offence.

This week, two grandparents, who have continued to drop off their four-year-old grandchild at the primary in Cranham, Essex, claim they are now facing penalties worth thousands of pounds.

Since the start of term, Martin Stevens, 63 AND his wife Steph, 53, say they had received upwards of 10 penalty charge notices (PCNs) after allegedly bypassing the new scheme.

They estimate that they, alongside their daughter Abbie who also does the school run, could end up with 28 in total, meaning costs of potentially more than £3,500.

But the couple claim they had no idea the scheme was in place, despite coming into force in September.

The grandparents, from nearby South Ockendon, claim they were not informed as they live outside the catchment area.

They also allege any School Street signs are not easily visible to those driving near the school.  

Fuming Ms Stevens recalled how she received an email on October 10, saying she had driven through the restricted zone on September 15.

And ever since, more fines have been issued from Havering Council to various members of the family,

“The problem we have got in this is we had not been notified,” Mr Stevens told the .

“They were coming two weeks later.”

His daughter Abbie said: “If I had known I was doing wrong, would I have continually committed all these offences?"  

She noted that by the time she had found out, “it was too late”. 

In response, Cllr Ray Morgon, leader of Havering Council, said the family could appeal their charges if they “feel they have been given in error.”

But she insisted there were signs at the entrance to the restricted zone, adding that the council also notified both residents and the school by letter ahead of the scheme being in operation.

The scheme, which was first trialled in Scotland in 2015, has previously prompted anger from residents up and down the country who have claimed it pushes the existing parking problems into more roads.

According to the , the ”School Street schemes offer a proactive solution for school communities to tackle road danger reduction.

“A School Street scheme will encourage a healthier lifestyle and active travel to school for families and lead to a better environment for everyone.”