08/02/2024 - Permalink

Signs going up as start of School Streets pilot nears

Related topics: Children's services / Highways, transport and environmental maintenance

Signs have begun to go up near the six Shropshire schools that will take part in a School Streets pilot from this spring.

School Streets are streets outside school gates that have temporary restrictions on motorised traffic – except for permit holders – during school drop-off and pick-up times.

Ahead of the pilot starting in April 2024, signs will be put in place close to each school to inform drivers of the new restrictions.

Signs are now in place near Castlefields Primary School, Bridgnorth – and are due to go up at the five other schools during half-term next week, namely:

  • Gobowen Primary School
  • Woodside Primary School, Oswestry
  • Whitchurch Junior School
  • Market Drayton Junior School
  • Mereside Primary School, Shrewsbury.

Residents in each area eligible for a permit will receive a letter in the coming days.

Kirstie Hurst-Knight, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children and education, said:

“It’s great news that we’re getting close to beginning our School Streets trial at six schools.

“As School Streets restrict traffic outside schools at pick-up and drop-off times, this work will help us make it safer and easier for children to walk, scoot and cycle to school – something that we all want.”

Dan Morris, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways, said:

“Shropshire Council is on track to be the first rural council with a School Streets programme and the power to enforce moving traffic offences, which is great for the county and our schoolpupils.”

Under new ‘moving traffic offences’ legislation Shropshire Council will be able to enforce School Streets using ANPR cameras.

The pilot was originally planned to begin in February 2024, but will now start in April once the ANPR cameras used to enforce the scheme have been installed.

The new powers mean that – in the next phase of the project – ANPR cameras can also be used to enforce the School Street already in place at Coleham Primary School in Shrewsbury – implemented using pandemic powers.

For the first six months of the pilot a grace period will be in place for first-time offenders.

Following the pilot, it’s hoped to roll School Streets out to other schools across the county.

Further information

The School Streets scheme will be 100% funded through Department for Transport grant funding, and is estimated to cost approximately £31,000 for schools with one camera and £62,000 for schools with two cameras.

Any surplus arising from enforcement of School Streets will be reinvested back into the School Streets project to enable the continued rollout across the county.

Where traffic is restricted on roads outside schools at pick-up and drop-off times during term-times, School Streets make it safer and easier for children to walk, scoot and cycle to school. This reduces children’s exposure to air pollution on part of their journey to school and from cars with idling engines outside the school gates.

For more information about School Streets, click here.