School Streets Briefing from RBKC by CEN Councillor Johnny Thalassites, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council
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School Streets briefing from RBKC By CEN Councillor Johnny Thalassites, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council, Lead Member for Planning, Place and the Environment Contents 1. Background to School Streets 2. Benefits and support 3. London context and Covid-related travel plans 4. Kensington and Chelsea case study a. Process b. Types of enforcement c. Promotion d. Challenges e. Feedback 5. Other useful organisations 1. Background to School Streets ● Who? Most London boroughs now promote School Streets, although sometimes parents and school staff help to implement the timed closures near schools. ● What? A ‘School Street’ is a road outside of a school with a timed restriction on motor traffic at drop-off and pick-up times. ● When? Generally, School Streets last for 30-45 minutes in the morning and, again, in the afternoon. ● Where? School Streets can cover a small or large stretch of road, outside or adjacent to the school gates. ● Why? The purpose of a School Street is to encourage active travel, which leads to better mental and physical wellbeing; to improve air quality at the school gates; and to reduce road danger in an area. ● How? Local authorities have powers to use traffic management orders (TMOs) to turn a street into a pedestrian and cycle zone - which makes a ‘School Street’. 2. Benefits and support ● Benefits: Research found that School Streets reduced nitrogen dioxide by up to 23 per cent during morning drop off; that 81 per cent of parents and carers supported measures at their children’s school; and that 18 per cent of parents reported driving to school less as a result of Schools Streets. ● Support: CEN polling has shown that two-thirds of Conservative voters agree that “councils should create car-free zones outside schools during pick-up and drop-off times, even if this makes it less convenient for some schools to pick up their children.” 3. London context; and Covid-related travel plans ● Whilst national and regional Government may have already supported them, there were only 14 School Streets in London (and fewer in other regions) in 2019. ● After the first lockdown, the Government published national guidance - urging a “step-change” in the roll-out of existing interventions, like School Streets. ● London councils were told to reallocate road space to facilitate walking and cycling “within weeks”. ● More than 350 School Streets have been introduced across London in the past 12 months. 4. Kensington and Chelsea case study ● Kensington and Chelsea Council introduced its first School Street in 2019 and made it permanent in 2020. ● Following national guidance in spring 2020, the Council wrote to every school in the borough offering support to pilot School Streets in the upcoming academic year. ● Seven new School Streets were brought forward in September 2020. Four more School Streets, having undergone consultation in winter 2020, will come forward in April 2021. ● As of summer 2021, there will be School Streets at: Colville Primary School, Wetherby Kensington, Knightsbridge School, Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, Bevington Primary School, Chelsea Academy, Hill House School, Vicente Canada Blanch Spanish School - and All Saints Catholic College, Fox Primary School, Holy Trinity CofE School (second site) and Marlborough Primary School. a. School Street process ● School Street applications will be considered from any school in the borough. ● Schools should be able to enforce the closure point(s) and provide consistent closure times (30-45 minutes in the morning and afternoon). ● Council officers undertake informal consultation with residents; and the Lead Member discusses schemes with ward councillors. ● If there is a decision to proceed, School Streets are implemented under Experimental Traffic Orders (ETOs) - which allows further consultation for a minimum of six-months before permanent schemes are considered. ● This means residents and parents can feed back on how the scheme is working, before the Council takes a view about how schemes are working. ● The Council’s Community Wardens assist schools with School Street closures for the first few weeks, and we offer training for school staff in dealing with confrontation and other potential street closure management issues. ● RBKC signs a Memorandum of Understanding with schools to agree operating conditions for the scheme. ● Residents will be invited to apply for an exemption by providing vehicle registration numbers: a list of these are provided to the school so they can grant access to exempted vehicles. ● ‘Snap-shot’ feedback surveys with residents and the school community are undertaken after three months. b. Promotion ● Letters are sent to residents of the proposed street and surrounding area (particularly those that may experience displacement of traffic). ● Informal signage is placed on-street. ● A dedicated web page will be set up for every closure. ● Poster and flyer templates will be provided to schools for their use. ● Park ’n’ stride maps are also provided to schools. c. Challenges ● Schools wavering and/or not fully understanding the commitment. ● Exemptions for deliveries and taxis. ● Monitoring impacts - as it can be difficult to assess air quality during such short closure times. d. Feedback Characteristic positive and negative feedback: ● “We are delighted to be part of the School Street scheme. It’s revolutionised the environment outside the school” - Staff member at a ‘School Street’ School ● “For families who do not live nearby but need to go to school it will be much trouble to drop off and pick up daily” - Parent at a ‘School Street’ school ● “Thank you for putting measures in place for the safety of students” - Parent at a ‘School Street’ School ● “The closure of our road does not address the problem of parents driving their children to school as they will park on [nearby road]” - Resident near a ‘School Street’ ● “I just wanted to drop you a note to say we very much appreciated the trial of the School Street and hope it continues” - Resident near a ‘School Street’ 5. Other useful organisations ● School Streets ● Mums for Lungs ● Living Streets ● Sustrans ● London Car Free Day .