School Streets Schemes

Have your say on School Streets

A School Streets scheme is a community-based approach, aiming to:

• Cut down on traffic and parking pressures outside schools.
• Discourage car journeys to school and encourage walking and cycling.
• Make the streets outside schools safer at the start and end of the day.
• Improve air quality and create a more pleasant environment for everyone.

School streets schemes place children and families first, to keep them safe and healthy by encouraging walking, scooting and cycling. They also limit the impact vehicle movement may have on the desires of a school community to embrace active travel at the start and finish of a school day, as well as the impact extra vehicles may have on local residents living close to our schools.

All School Streets Schemes are implemented through the use of an Experimental Traffic Management/Regulation Order (ETO). This means that as the local highway authority, we have powers to enforce "moving traffic offences" e.g. ignoring road restrictions. We will install traffic cameras to monitor traffic outside the school, and issue Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) or fine of £70 to those entering the restricted areas during the school drop-off and pick-up times, applicable Monday to Friday during school term-time only. It operates for approximately 45-60 mins. If drivers are issued a PCN because they passed a School Streets sign and entered a restricted area at a restricted time, they can reduce the cost of the fine by completing an online educational course that will help them understand what School Streets signs mean. 

The evaluation of early School Streets projects in other areas across the UK has shown that traffic outside schools had reduced on average by 68%, children cycling to school had increased by 51%, and harmful vehicle pollution outside schools was down by almost 75%. There are many benefits when a community use more active modes of travel, some of which result from increased physical activity, while others come from a decrease in traffic in the local area.

Watch this short video to learn more about the School Streets Scheme.

There is more information available on School Streets in our FAQ, and you can learn more about the individual schemes, and let us know what you think, by clicking on the links below.