School Streets - St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy

Overview

What is this consultation about?

We are gathering your views on a proposal to introduce a School Street at St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy.  The proposal aims to reduce general and school traffic outside the school by closing local roads for short periods at the start and end of each school day.

How does a School Street work?

A School Street seeks to make the streets around schools safer for pupils and parents to be able to walk to school rather than use their cars.

They temporarily close roads to non-essential vehicles around the entrance to schools for around 30-45 minutes at school start and finish time. Only pedestrians and non-motorised vehicles are permitted to access a zone while the restriction is in place, with exceptions made for emergency vehicles and vehicles of local residents with permits. This then frees up the road space to make it easier and safer for children and families to walk, cycle or scoot to school.

Parents who have valid blue badges or have children with special access requirments are able to obtain a School permit from the School which grants access through the closure point. 

Why are these changes being proposed at St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy?

The School itself has requested that Stockport Council introduce a School Street to encourage more active travel for the school journey and increase the level of daily activity for its pupils. It is also expected to reduce the number of cars around the entrances improving safety and air quality.

Stockport Council is committed to making Stockport’s roads safer for everyone living, working and visiting the borough and is working to create a cleaner environment that will reduce air pollution and improve the health and wellbeing of the community by encouraging more walking and cycling wherever possible.

Reducing the use of private car journeys to and from school should lead to:

• Less road danger from traffic
• Less anti-social behaviour from inconsiderate parking and dangerous driving
• More walking and cycling by children and parents
• Reduced congestion and pollution from vehicles waiting with their engines running

What are the key benefits of a School Street?

A School Street supports the aims of school travel plans. Travel plans encourage pupils, staff and visitors travel to and from the school sustainbly by promoting active, healthy, safe and sustainable travel to school as an alternative to short, single occupancy car journeys.

Health benefits

• Exercising vigorously at least once a day for children is key to a long-lasting good health, which could be easily achieved by having an active journey to school.
• Physical activity also leads to chemical changes in the brain that trigger a positive mood and a feel-good mind-set.

Air quality

• Children’s lung development is particularly at risk from air pollution damage that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. Pollution worsens asthma and increases the risk of developing allergies.
• Pollution also impacts the brain by reducing attentiveness and memory. It has been linked to depression, anxiety, attention deficit disorder and raises the risk of heart disease later in life.

Road danger reduction

• School run-related traffic accounts for a quarter of cars on the road at peak times. This results in increased risks of collisions with vulnerable road users and other motorists, unlawful parking, traffic jams and road rage. 
• Statistics from the Department of Transport reveal that 14% of children killed on Great Britain’s roads in 2018 were between the morning school run (7-9am) and 23% after school between 3-5pm.

FAQs

Are any vehicles permitted access to a School Street zone?

• Residents living within a School Street zone are permitted to enter and exit during the times of operation, but are encouraged to avoid driving through the zone at school start and finish times when possible.
• Access is permitted to a School Street zone during the times of operation for parents and guardians with children that are Blue Badge holders. This is extended to parents and guardians who are Blue Badge holders with children attending an infant school.
• Parents who have children with special access requirments are able to obtain a School permit from the Council which grants access through the closure point. 
• It is recognised registered and unregistered carers may also need access to a property within a School Street during the times of operation to provide essential care and will be granted access through showing ID such as a NHS Staff pass.  
• A resident or business that owns private parking inside of a zone may require access during the times of operation. In this instance documents showing ownership will be required when applying for a School Street access permit. 

The restriction does not prevent residents and their visitors leaving the street during the times of operation, as only access into the zone is restricted for the purpose of keeping the area free of traffic for children’s health and safety.

Can school staff still access private parking on school premises?

Access during the times of the prohibition will be permitted for staff in the instance a school has off street private parking provided exclusively for staff.  

However, we strongly encourage staff arrive and leave school premises outside of the times of the prohibition, to keep the road clear of vehicular traffic for the safety of children.

Why your views matter

Why your views matter

We have developed proposals for St Mary's Catholic Voluntary Academy and are asking for your opinion to help us make the right decision for this school regarding the implementation of a school street.