Parents and pupils returning to class this September may notice some of Ealing Council’s new School Streets in place at a number of local primaries across the borough – all with the aim of making it safer and easier for children to walk, cycle or scoot to school.

A School Street is a designated area around a school with some restrictions on traffic in place at its opening and closing times. In effect, it makes the vicinity around that school a pedestrian and cycle zone for these time periods.

This helps to achieve a safer, more pleasant and environmentally-friendly experience for children and parents travelling to and from school, as well as pedestrians and cyclists – while maintaining access for residents and businesses within the zone.

It is part of the council’s ongoing commitment to create opportunities for active travel for local people of all ages and tackle the climate crisis by reducing reliance on shorter car journeys.

Five new School Streets are being introduced over the coming weeks, on top of the 10 already in place after successful trial periods over the previous school year.

The new school streets for this autumn:

Christ the Saviour (Grove site)
Grange
Horsenden
North
St Joseph’s

The school streets currently in place:

Berrymede Infants and Junior School
Derwentwater
Holy Family
Mayfield
North Ealing
Oaklands
Perivale
St Mark’s
St John Fisher
St John’s
Willow Tree

*Perivale and St John Fisher come under one scheme in Perivale and Berrymede Infant and Junior are also one scheme.

Councillor Deirdre Costigan, deputy leader and cabinet member for climate action, said: “School Streets see roads around schools closed in the morning for drop off and in the afternoon for pick up.

“We are making 10 School Streets permanent following successful trial runs last term and now a further five will be introduced in the coming weeks.

“This is all part of our commitment to active travel – we want to make it easier, safer and more fun for kids and their families to walk, scoot or cycle to school every day.

“This will make sure we are able to cut air pollution across the borough and represents an important contribution to fighting climate change.”