Croydon Council could expand its Healthy School Streets scheme, with fines generated by the initiative used to help repair the borough’s £10m budget shortfall.
There are currently 14 school streets in the borough that have been approved for the scheme, with 13 more under consultation.
Ten more streets were in operation until October 19, when the consultation ended. Croydon Council has not yet announced if the following streets will become healthy school streets:
- All Saints Church of England Primary
- Coombe Wood and Old Palace of John Whitgift
- Elmwood Schools
- Harris Academy Crystal Palace
- Harris Academy Invictus
- Harris Academy Upper Norwood
- Kensington Primary and Norbury High School for Girls
- Minster Schools
- Oasis Academy Byron
- Rockmount Primary
- St. James the Great School
- St. John’s Church of England School
- St. Peter’s Primary School
The Healthy School Streets scheme was first created in order to reduce traffic and encourage more families to walk or cycle to school.
Along with reduced traffic, the council have stated it could help create healthier families, quieter neighbourhoods and cut down air pollution around schools.
People found to be driving to schools on these streets or parking during drop-off and pick-up hours face a £130 fine.
The rules do not apply outside of term time.
Chris Andrew, Headteacher at St. James the Great Primary and Nursery Schools, said in a statement: “I’m hoping a Healthy School Street will be better safety-wise for our children, encourage more of our families to walk or scoot or ride to school more often – which is healthier and better for the environment.
“I certainly think it will help with the local residents who must get fed up – in fact, I get complaints often regularly – that people have blocked their drives, or they can’t get out of the road because it’s gridlocked.”
School feedback and survey responses will be used to decide whether or not this will be a permanent decision.
Croydon resident, Tina Crawford told the ELL: “It’s clearly a way for the council to make money – that being said, the end result is good. We live on a road that has a school, though I don’t have a car, it affects those that do. If schools didn’t punish kids for being late, maybe more would walk or use public transport.”
During a meeting of the council’s streets, environment and homes scrutiny committee earlier this month, it was announced the council also plans to make money from traffic fines and parking in order to make amends for a shortfall of £10 million in the budget.
Nick Hibberd, corporate director of sustainable communities, regeneration and economic recovery at Croydon, said: “The majority of the budget, nearly 80 per cent, is income so when you have the situation where there is the under-recovery of income, what we have to look is whether there are measures to mitigate that.”
“We have been taking some measures like bringing forward consultations on school streets, and we’ve been progressing that to mitigate income we may not be getting elsewhere.”
Jason Perry, executive mayor of Croydon, said in a statement: “We want to hear from as many residents, parents, carers, local businesses, school staff and even pupils as possible so that we can listen to their views before we make decisions on the future of these schemes.
“This allows us an opportunity to use your feedback to make changes – like putting in additional signage – and I encourage anyone who hasn’t yet responded to do so as soon as possible.”
