Frequently Asked Questions

A School Street is where temporary restrictions on motor traffic are introduced outside the schools at drop-off and pick-up times, to make them pedestrian and cycle-only zones. 

By temporarily reducing traffic outside schools, this will help reduce heavy traffic and congestion, cut pollution outside the school gates, make it safer for children to get to and from school, and free up parking space for residents and school staff.

The street(s) around the school will become pedestrian and cycle-only zones. Unless vehicles have been granted an exemption, motor traffic will not be permitted to enter the zone during set times in the morning and afternoon.

Signs at the entrances to the streets will inform drivers of the restrictions. Non-registered vehicles entering the street during the times of operation will be identified by camera and issued a penalty charge notice.

Despite the average journey to a primary school being less than one kilometre, a quarter of cars on the road in the morning rush hour are on the school run. 1000 children are killed on school roads every year, and an estimated 16 children a week are fatally hit or seriously injured during the morning and afternoon school runs each week. Air pollution is five times higher on the school run and can be higher for children in cars due to exhaust fumes.

Building on the success of our first round of School Streets, we are taking proactive measures to help schools, parents, residents and the wider community tackle dangerous traffic at peak rush hour, parking issues, and to improve road safety and air quality around schools in the borough.

• Creates a safer environment for school children – by reducing the number of cars on the surrounding roads, and cutting the risk of road accidents;
• Decreases traffic and congestion – not only in the immediate School Streets, but overall, bringing benefits to the wider community;
• Reduces air pollution - a recent TfL report showed school streets reduced Nitrogen Dioxide emissions by 23%
• Boosts public health – by encouraging exercise via active forms of travel (walking, cycling, scooting)

All the schools and their respective roads have been selected due to concerns about congestion, rat-running and road danger in the area. Considerations have also been given to their proximity to each other, to ensure the benefits of traffic-calming measures are felt across the wider area.

The proposed restrictions will vary from school to school but will be within the hours of 08:00 to 09:30 and 14:30 to 16:00. The restrictions prohibit vehicles from entering the School Street. Exempt vehicles can drive down in the roads at all times. In practice, the restrictions are not enforced on weekends and outside school terms.

People walking, cycling, scooting, using a wheelchair, or mobility scooter, are not restricted. 

Emergency vehicles are automatically exempt. 

Residents and businesses within the school street zone, blue badge holders who require immediate and regular access to the school, and carers and school staff will require a permit to enter the zone during operational hours. You you will be able to apply for this permit nearer time. 

Residents’ parking will be unaffected.

Yes, if your vehicle is exempt. For example, residents parking will be unaffected.

Advanced Warning Signage will be installed on surrounding roads, informing road users of the timed road restrictions outside the school, where necessary. We will be producing leaflets and a survey to notify residents.

Should we agree to proceed with these proposals, residents will receive a letter to inform them about the start date of the scheme with details of how to register a vehicle or vehicles for exemption. Public notices advising of the changes will be displayed on the street.