Community Backs 'School Streets' Scheme For Six Brighton Schools

 A public consultation on six new School Streets schools has shown that 8 out of 10 people are in favour of the schemes being introduced.

The consultation was held last autumn and asked parents how they felt about road restrictions outside their local primary schools during pick-up and drop-off times.

In total, the consultation received 740 responses from parents and carers, the school community and residents who live near the schemes.

In September, Members of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability (ETS) committee approved plans to implement a city-wide School Streets programme, with the aim of delivering six schemes per year.
 
The schools involved in year one of the programme are: 

• Downs Infant School
• Downs Junior School
• Hove Junior School (Portland Rd site)
• Queen’s Park Primary School
• St Mary’s RC Primary School
• Westdene Primary School

The first scheme will be installed over the Easter holidays at St Mary’s RC on Vale Gardens, with the remaining five planned to be in place ahead of the next school year pending further work on designs.

The council says its officers have also been working with the schools on developing their travel plans and holding cycle sessions and engagement activities with children in preparation.
 
Sarah Clayton, Headteacher of St Mary’s RC said:

“I’m so pleased we’ll soon have School Streets here at St Mary’s and am delighted with the partnership we have with the council to deliver this.

“I know from speaking with parents, carers and local residents that they share the concerns I have about cars backing in and out of Vale Gardens and I’m sure this will make the journey to school safer and more pleasant for everyone.

“I really hope this will encourage more in our school community to change the way they travel to St Mary’s. Walking, cycling, and scooting has so many benefits, not just to our health and wellbeing, but to our climate too.”
 
Councillor Steve Davis, Co-Chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability committees said:

“It’s great to see School Streets expanding across the city and I can’t wait to see them in operation. School Streets is an issue I have campaigned on for a long time, going back to proposing it at my first committee meeting.

“The consultation and engagement we’ve done shows we have the support of the local community to deliver schemes that benefit children as well as wider communities.

“These schemes benefit our health, cut carbon emissions and create and safer and much more pleasant environment around our schools.

“School Streets will enable many more children and their families to walk, cycle and scoot to school safely. I’d love to see School Streets right across the city and this is just the start.”
 
What are School Streets?
 
Working in partnership with the schools, School Streets create more space for safer journeys to and from school by reallocating road space during drop-off and pick up times. 
 
Legally enforced timed restrictions enforce the School Streets ‘closure’, preventing access to the roads around schools to vehicles. This allows for a safer space for walking, cycling and scooting while also reducing the number of cars parked or idling outside school gates, thereby improving safety and reducing congestion at peak times.
 
Residents continue to have access to their properties during the timed restrictions as do emergency services, Blue Badge holders, doctors or care visitors, people who have a business premises on the street and contracted school transport.