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We are continuing to deliver on our commitment to introduce School Streets with support from the schools, parents and residents.

School Streets are timed closures of roads outside schools, which prevent vehicular traffic passing through at the start and end of the school day. Evidence from well-established schemes suggest School Streets can significantly improve air quality near the school, reduce traffic volumes, and increase the number of pupil’s walking and cycling to school. School Streets also support social distancing, preventing crowding on the pavement at school pick up and drop off times. Unfortunately, there have been some delays to implementing our plans owing to due to COVID-19 and bad weather.

However, nine school streets are already in operation around these schools:

Tidemill Academy

Prendergast Ladywell

Kelvin Grove

Ashmead

Coopers Lane

Conisborough College

All Saints

Adamsrill

John Ball

In addition we aim to introduce school streets from 19 April in roads surrounding these schools:

Deptford Green

Gordonbrock

Rushey Green and Holy Cross

Eliot Bank

Brindishe Green

Holbeach

Myatt Garden

Rathfern

Athelney

Lucas Vale

Haseltine

Kilmorie

St John the Baptist

St William of York

We are continuing our work to develop the current programme of sites with a view to having them ready when schools reopen fully. However, if the Government decides to delay re-opening until after Easter, we will consider on a case by case basis whether to start school streets earlier this would be for the benefit of pupils who are currently still attending. The schools included in the programme include:

As you will understand our ambitious programme means that we working with different contractors and co-ordinating with multiple different suppliers. Many of our partners are experiencing difficulties in planning workloads with staff being off sick with COVID-19 and recent adverse weather conditions. Subsequently there may be unforeseen delays, making it difficult at this stage to give definitive timescales for when work will happen at each site.

Our intention is for the majority of the physical works to be complete by the end of February half term, aside from of a handful of schools where the works are more complex with a longer lead time. As usual we will keep residents and Commonplace updated as timescales become clearer.

Installing enforcement cameras

For those school street schemes that will have cameras to promote safety and adherence, we need to implement a period of testing on site before they become fully operational. We will notify residents in the vicinity of the closure before this happens. Those with properties within the schemes will receive a letter explaining clearly how to register for exemptions in advance.

We will be installing street signs which will also show when the school streets in operation. These signs will only operate during term times and be covered over using special ‘flaps’ during school holidays.

We will delivering 16 new School Streets with support from the schools, parents and residents. This will bring the total number of school Streets in the borough to 26.

School streets are timed closures of roads outside schools, which prevent vehicular traffic passing through at the start and end of the school day. Evidence from well-established schemes suggests School Streets can significantly improve air quality near the school, reduce traffic volumes, and increase the number of pupil’s walking and cycling to school. School Streets also support social distancing, preventing crowding on the pavement at pick up and drop off times.

School Streets schemes have already been introduced at ten local schools. Feedback from staff, parents and residents has been very positive. On hearing the news that their child’s school would be joining the scheme earlier in the autumn, one parent wrote:

“Just a quick email to say how happy I am to hear that the school streets road closure is coming to Myatt Garden Primary School. It definitely puts children first before cars. Well done to whoever was involved in making this happen.”

Another comment from a local resident and parent about the scheme at All Saints Primary School read:

“Honestly I really like the school street closure. Seeing the children and parents walking down the road without any risk makes it the best solution. And I can guarantee that my neighbours have the same opinion.”

Viv Nicolls, the Head Teacher at Prendergast Ladywell, said:

“Since starting the School Street project in September, Ewhurst Road has become a cleaner and kinder place to be at pick-up and drop-off times. With COVID restrictions limiting access to our school site, our families are able to congregate outside of our school gates with the knowledge that the street is a safer place to be. As Head of School, I monitor the School Street each day equipped with my 'walkie talkie' and 'hi-vis jacket'. By doing this, our staff have been able to connect much more with our local community - it is great to say hello to not just our own families but local residents too. We are expecting cameras to monitor the School Street from January rather than staff, however we fully intend to continue to be a presence at the beginning and end of the day to maintain the positive relationships that we have formed with local residents. Due to the success of the Ewhurst Road project, our next priority will be to make access to our other school entrance in Sinclair Place a School Street.”

We have been working with primary schools and local communities on the schemes which see vehicles restricted from entering the streets unless the drivers live there or have a business on the street. Emergency service vehicles can still enter at any time. Work on the new schemes will begin in December with an aim to have them finished by the end of January.

Hackney Council reported in June that around nine of the schools where it has implemented measures, traffic had reduced by 68 per cent and the number of pupils cycling had increased by over 50 per cent. Vehicle emissions outside those schools were down by 74 per cent. Evidence from Waltham Forest Council shows that their scheme has reduced traffic around schools during the peak time by 80 percent and has significantly reduced the NO2 concentrations.

Councillor Sophie McGeevor, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment said:

“School Streets are a powerful tool in our armoury to fight air pollution, reduce traffic and create a healthier, safer borough. They run alongside our declaration of a climate emergency, the council’s long term transport strategy and promotion of walking and cycling to address inactivity as alternatives to driving.

“Their implementation means improved road safety and a reduction in needless engine idling. Residents nearby are also seeing the benefits from having less traffic on their streets at those times. I would like to thank the hard work of many teachers who support the schemes at the beginning and end of each school day”

“We already have ten schemes in place. I’m pleased that we can add these 16 schools, Haseltine, Rathfern, Myatt Garden, Kilmorie, St William of York, St John the Baptist, Lucas Vale, Athelney and Good Shepherd, Eliot Bank, Coopers Lane, Gordonbrock, Rushey Green, Holy Cross, Brindishe Green and Holbeach schools will all benefit.”

Existing Schools Street Schemes