School Streets scheme consultation finishes
In July this year, Havering Council launched a consultation asking schools and residents to have their say on proposals to introduce School Streets schemes to promote safer streets around parts of the borough from September.
The proposal was to introduce pedestrian and cycling only areas around some schools at set times of the day, in a bid to reduce traffic and improve safety and air quality.
The scheme is part of the Transport for London’s (TfL) Streetspace initiative to support social distancing on the public highway.
Havering has successfully secured funding from TfL to deliver School Street schemes across the borough.
Following the end of the consultation on 16 August, the scheme had majority support from the following schools areas for a 6 to 9 month trial to be run for the first time in the borough from September.
- Branfil Primary School
- Hylands Primary School
- Squirrels Heath Infant and Junior
However, the scheme was not supported for the following schools and this means these school street schemes will not go ahead.
- Clockhouse Primary School
- Concordia Academy
- Drapers Academy
- Drapers Pyrgo Primary School
- Drapers Maylands Primary School
- Lime Academy-Forest Approach
- Engayne Primary School
- Harrow Lodge Primary School
- Mead Primary School
- Oasis Academy Pinewood
- Parsonage Farm Primary School
- The James Oglethorpe Primary School
- Towers Federation – Towers Infant and Junior School
Councillor Osman Dervish, Havering’s Cabinet Member for Environment, said:
“I want to thank everyone who gave their views on this scheme. The response was very valuable and has given us the chance to see what is best for the different areas.
“The scheme will be trialled around three of our schools. We will then look to make a decision on whether it would become permanent in these areas, if it proves to be effective.
“For those areas that previously had PSPO arrangements in place and didn’t support the scheme, we will be working with both the schools and residents to look at other options.
“We want to help find ways of reducing pollution and improve safety issues around our school gates as we continue to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We’re encouraging children and parents to walk or cycle to school where possible, to help improve safety and congestion outside schools.”