Some schools have been getting the message across themselves
Proposals to introduce up to eight more School Streets across Croydon have been widely supported, with 31 of the borough’s schools having applied to have car-free zones on the roads near them during the rush hour.
Ten schools at eight sites have been shortlisted for the trial, with letters written to the schools and the surrounding communities.
The council has this week claimed “hundreds of responses” to a public engagement, with two-thirds supporting the scheme. A formal consultation on the traffic orders needed to create the School Streets is set to go ahead.
The proposals build on a successful pilot scheme last year at three Croydon schools that saw temporary pedestrian zones that only operate during the school run. This led to 250 fewer children travelling to school by car, with most of them walking, cycling or scooting instead.
The schools shortlisted this time are:
- Norbury Manor Primary (Norbury)
- Cypress Primary (South Norwood)
- Winterbourne Junior Girls (Bensham Manor)
- Winterbourne Junior Boys (Bensham Manor)
- Fairchildes Primary (New Addington)
- Harris Academy Purley and Regina Coeli Primary (Purley Oaks and Riddlesdown)
- Downsview Primary and Nursery (Upper Norwood)
- Harris Primary Academy Kenley (Kenley)
- West Thornton Primary Academy (Broad Green)
Some of the proposed road restrictions can be very complex.
For example, in the case of Regina Coeli Primary and the large secondary Harris Academy Purley, the schools share a cul de sac, Kendra Hall Road, off the busy bus route that is Pampisford Road.
The staff and parents at Regina Coeli are aware of the increasing traffic problems near their school
Pampisford Road is supposed to be in a 20mph zone, but this has been rarely enforced in the two years since introduced.
There are also two other schools within a quarter of a mile of Kendra Hall Road, neither of which under any car-free zone will be subject to parking restrictions (with good reason in the case of St Giles’ special school), but this is likely to undermine the potential impact of any parking proposals, or indeed make traffic issues on the main road during the school run even worse.
Stuart King, the council cabinet member for incinerators and unenforced speed restrictions, said: “I’m pleased the new School Street proposals have been so popular.
Stuart King: 31 schools have applied for car-free zone status
“These schemes make the area around a school entrance safer. They have also been shown to encourage parents to walk their children to school, with fewer school run trips as a result. That means less congestion, safer schools and healthier pupils.
“In total 31 schools have expressed an interest in getting a School Street so the council will be working hard to roll this popular scheme out across the borough as soon as we can.”
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Our school pupils would be a lot safer if speed restrictions were enforced, at least on roads near to the schools.
Quote ‘Pampisford Road is supposed to be in a 20mph zone, but this has been rarely enforced in the two years since introduced.’
Nearly every side road in Croydon now has a 20 MPH speed limit but few motorists, if any, respect this speed restriction.
I talked to our local bobby about enforcement but he acknowledged that as far as he was aware there had been no prosecutions.
The Council must have spent thousands putting up the 20 MPH signs all over the Borough, what a complete waste of money.
The Parking Wardens must pay for themselves in the revenue they bring in.
Time to introduce Speed Limit Wardens, especially around our schools, who would also be self funding.
As I’ve said here before, simply put speed detecting traffic lights up which go red if an object is approaching them faster than the limit. Anyone wishing to ignore them will get done for both speeding and passing a red light, thus a fine and a shameful six points to admit to your insurer.
In Virginia, USA, I noticed that roads running alongside schools have a 20mph speed limit for a period of several hours in the morning and afternoon. The limit is rigorously enforced via speed cameras on mobile trailers. To help motorists , there are flashing lights and signs on poles in all these areas, so if you see the lights flashing, slow down quick–or get a big fine.
With regard to the Croydon initiative, getting children to walk at least some of the way to school must be good for their health. The walking habit, fresh air and social nature of walking with others must be good.
The recent and building crescendo of awareness of children and their heath, and school locations, in the media, Government and Local Government is welcome but hugely overdue, and sadly has happened much too late to stop our local education new school building scandal —- the building of that new Primary School on the polluted Purley way, a truly disgraceful development of our times.