Stuart Road Primary Academy will be the first school in Plymouth to extend a trial of traffic restrictions during morning and afternoon drop-off and pick-up times, following a successful one-day pilot.
The ‘Safer School Streets’ pilot, organised by the Council in partnership with Sustrans in 2021, saw roads outside six primary schools closed to school-run and through traffic during these peak times.
The measures – which aim to improve safety for all road users, make it easier for families to walk, cycle or scoot to school and create a healthier street environment with cleaner air – were widely welcomed by parents and local residents.
Councillor John Stephens, our new walking and cycling champion, said: “We are often contacted about road safety concerns and inconsiderate parking around our schools – by parents, nearby residents and schools themselves. We have also made a commitment to create cleaner, greener streets and reduce our carbon emissions.
“We work hard to encourage families to leave the car at home where possible, promote active travel (including schemes such as walk and stride and walking buses) and remind those who are forced to drive to park legally and responsibly.
“Safer School Streets are a great way to reduce congestion and improve air quality around the school gates, make school journeys safer and healthier and tackle some of the school-run traffic issues experienced by neighbours. They are being adopted by a growing number of local authorities and schools across the UK and feedback from our car-free trial days in Plymouth was overwhelmingly positive.
“We are really pleased that Stuart Road are now trialling these measures on a longer-term basis. We hope this is a huge success and can be implemented permanently.”
Headteacher Britta Nicholls said: “Stuart Road Primary Academy are thrilled to be the first school in the city to be a 'Safer School Streets’ school, offering our community a safer and more environmentally friendly method of getting to school.
“At Stuart Road, we pride ourselves on our commitment to promoting healthy lifestyles and actively encourage our children to cycle, scooter or walk to school each day. The road closure will not only help to support other means of getting to school but, more importantly for us, will ensure the safety and wellbeing of our school community, who will be able to attend Stuart Road free from potential road traffic hazards or near misses.
“The school community have campaigned for several years for the road closure to be put into place and are now delighted that this hope has finally come into fruition. We hope that the success of this road closure will encourage other schools across the city to sign up to this essential project, promoting safer roads around all schools across Plymouth.”
The extended trial at Stuart Road will begin on Monday 25 September. Every weekday during term time, the road outside the school (Palmerston Street) will be closed with temporary barriers from 7.50am to 8.50am and then from 2.45pm to 3.45pm.
Volunteers and members of staff will steward the closed section of road and access will be maintained for local residents and businesses, parents and children with disabilities, the emergency services, deliveries and other service vehicles.
The arrangements have been agreed for up to 18 months under an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order, advertised in the local press and on street. Signs will also be placed on street to advise road users of the closure times.
Families are being encouraged to walk, cycle or scoot to school or, if they need to drive to work, to ‘park and stride’ – where they park a five or 10 minute walk from the school and go the rest of the way by foot.