WHITCHURCH CE Junior School is one of six primary schools across the county that will benefit after Shropshire Council was granted powers to enforce a range of driving offences.

The new powers granted by the Department for Transport will allow the unitary authority to be able to issue fines to drivers for offences including, incorrectly driving into a bus lane; stopping in a yellow box junction, making banned right or left turns, illegal U-turns, and going the wrong way in a one-way street.

It will also support the council's 'School Streets' trial using ANPR cameras to prevent people from driving and parking in the vicinity of primary schools during drop-off and pick-up times.

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Only those with a permit will be allowed to do so and these are thought to be restricted to residents.

Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways Councillor Richard Marshall said: "This is excellent news and means Shropshire Council is on track to be the first rural council with a School Streets programme and the power to enforce moving traffic offences."

The School Streets programme was first started in Coleham Primary in Shrewsbury and Shropshire Council hopes to expand the programme across the county.

Currently, there are six schools on the trial: Gobowen Primary School; Market Drayton Junior School; Woodside Primary School, Oswestry; Mereside Primary School, Shrewsbury; Whitchurch Junior School; and Castlefields Primary School, Bridgnorth.

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Shropshire Council’s cabinet member for children and education, Cllr Kirstie Hurst-Knight said: "This news is very welcome and means that we can shortly begin our School Streets trial at six schools and enforce the Coleham scheme then look to roll the programme out to other schools.

"As School Streets restrict traffic outside schools at pick-up and drop-off times, these powers will help us make it safer and easier for children to walk, scoot and cycle to school."