RESTRICTIONS on traffic will be introduced around a primary school in Rugby to test a new scheme to make streets safer near schools in Warwickshire.
Warwickshire County Council’s (WCC) School Streets scheme will be trialled at Eastlands Primary School in Hillmorton.
Lansdowne Place, the residential road leading to the school, will be closed to all non-residential traffic during term time on weekdays from 8:15-9:15am and 2:30-3:30pm.
The scheme is scheduled to launch in the week after half term, beginning on November 6.
It aims to reduce congestion and the risk of collisions, improve traffic flow, make it safer for children to cross the road, allow residents to drive in and out of their street more easily, encourage families to walk, scoot or cycle to school, and improve air quality near schools.
It will be the first School Street zone to be implemented in Warwickshire.
The school’s Head Teacher Suki Edwards said: “I am so pleased that Eastlands has been chosen for this project. Over the years we have worked hard with our community to raise awareness of considerate and safe parking, reducing pollution around school gates and encouraging healthy lifestyles by walking, scooting or cycling to school.
“I am sure this project will support our hard work and lead to a further change in the behaviour of drivers – and by doing so, make the journey to school even safer and healthier each morning.”
School Street zones have been introduced widely across the UK and have proved popular with residents, parents, children and schools by making the school journey safer and air quality better.
Coun Jan Matecki, WCC’s Transport and Planning spokesman, said: “The school streets pilot at Eastlands School is something we are very excited about. It’s such a simple concept that has a wide range of important benefits, from improving rush hour congestion and decreasing road traffic collisions to improving the air quality around our schools.
“We will be watching the results of this pilot scheme very closely and I would like to thank Mrs Edwards at Eastlands Primary for agreeing to take part in Warwickshire’s very first School Streets Scheme.”
Visit www.warwickshire.gov.uk/schoolstreets for more information on the scheme.
