Council launches first ‘School Street’ in the borough

Cheshire West and Chester Council has launched a scheme to create a safer environment for children and ease pressures around schools during peak times.

The Council is piloting the first of a new scheme – known as ‘School Streets’ – to create a safer environment for children, boost active travel, improve road safety and air quality.

The first scheme will see Castle Drive and Windsor Drive (the road directly outside Our Lady Star of the Sea Primary School in Whitby, Ellesmere Port), closed to vehicles during school opening and closing times. This is to create a safer environment for children going to and from school.

No vehicles will be able to enter the restricted zones between the times of operation, unless they have been given an exemption.

Residents who live on the school street have been given a permit to be displayed in their vehicles, which allows access to their homes during the restricted times.

The scheme encourages children to use active travel to get to school by creating a safer environment for walking, wheeling and cycling, which aims to increase physical activity as well as reducing congestion and pollution.

Parents or carers who are not able to walk, wheel or cycle to school can park their vehicle outside of the school street and complete the journey on foot.

The scheme is to ensure the health and safety of pupils and staff, as well as the parents and carers of pupils.  It can help children get in and out of school safely, avoiding the congested school drop-off.  Levels of active travel and air quality will be monitored during the pilot scheme.

The Council would like to thank the school, as well as residents, parents and carers, for their cooperation and support of this scheme, which will be rolled out to other schools in the borough if successful.

For more information on School Streets go to: 

Council’s website

Pictured - Our Lady Star of the Sea Primary School's Headteacher Louise Finlay and School Site Manager, Craig, at the School Streets barrier on Windsor Drive, Ellesmere Port.