Traffic safety measures extended to nine more 'School Streets'

Traffic safety measures which ban cars from certain roads at peak times are to be extended to nine more 'School Streets'. Medway Council has progressed the roll-out following a consultation with the public.

The traffic measure bans cars from driving down certain roads during set times around the beginning and end of the school day to create pedestrianised areas for children to walk to school. Drivers who ignore the restrictions receive a fine – though residents, blue badge holders, and emergency vehicles are exempt.

An initial group of seven schools had School Streets introduced in April this year, then, in September, the authority announced they were looking at a further nine. Following a consultation, the authority’s cabinet has agreed to progress the planned expansion to the next stage – a legally required consultation for its ultimate implementation.

READ MORE: I moved to one of Kent's best seaside towns and there's one thing I wasn't prepared for

READ MORE: UFO sightings seen in the skies above Kent mapped as US Congress told flying saucers 'are real'

Introducing the report, Medway Council’s portfolio holder for community safety, highways and enforcement, Cllr Alex Paterson (Lab) said statistics show 1200 children are injured on UK roads every month within 500 metres of their school and the council must act to improve safety.

He said: “As the portfolio holder for road safety, I’m simply not prepared to accept this epidemic as an inevitable part of life in Medway. Instead of waiting for casualties, we choose to improve safety now.”

He added drivers had nothing to worry about if they followed the rules and the plans would benefit everyone, and criticisms about it being an inconvenience to parents who drop children off before heading to work were not compelling.

He continued: “School Streets are enforcing behaviours which are already what the majority of reasonable people do. In general, there’s no reason why a properly planned journey to school which involves a short walking element need delay an onward journey to work.

“In my view, no reasonable parent would put their own convenience ahead of the safety of the community. If money were no object I would have no hesitation in expanding this scheme as far and wide as it could possibly go.”

He also suggested the scheme would expand further, but added some schools would see different traffic calming measures as a School Street would not be appropriate in their area. Fellow cabinet member Cllr Simon Curry supported the proposals.

He said: “It’s a cultural change – people need to change their behaviour because at the moment it’s simply not safe. Loads of authorities across the country have introduced School Streets and the numbers of children being injured on the roads has dropped significantly.

“We can’t do it perfectly everywhere, my own primary school in Luton, it’s not really possible to get a School Street – it’s a really busy main road – but we can introduce measures to keep traffic down and reduce congestion.”

Some changes were made to the plans in response to representations from local residents, but all nine proposed School Street schemes are to progress. The first set of schools were introduced in April and, following a six month warning period, drivers will now be immediately fined if they enter a prohibited road during the set hours.

The schools involved in the first set are: Burnt Oak Primary School and St Mary’s Catholic Primary School in Gillingham; Greenvale Primary School and Phoenix Primary School in Chatham; Miers Court Primary School in Rainham; St Peter’s Infant School in Rochester; and St Thomas More Catholic Primary School in Walderslade.

The schools in the second set which will now progress following this approval are: Crest Infants School/Delce Academy, The King’s Pre-Preparatory School and Nursery, and St William of Perth Roman Catholic Primary School in Rochester; Fairview Primary School and St Margaret’s Church of England Junior School and St. Margarets Infant School in Rainham; Horsted Primary School in Chatham; Hilltop Primary School in Frindsbury, High Halstow Primary Academy in High Halstow; and Cliffe Woods Primary School, Cliffe Woods Pre-School and the City of Rochester School in Cliffe Woods.

The proposals for the nine further school streets were agreed by Medway Council’s cabinet and will progress to a statutory consultation and then implementation.