School streets rollout sees parent parking banned

Similar bans have been introduced across the UK

Cars are to be banned from roads next to some schools in Coventry in a move designed to make the school run safer and healthier.

It means parents will not be able to park outside the school gates during drop-offs or pick-ups.

The streets will close to all motorists for an hour on weekdays at the start and end of the school day, a Coventry City Council report read.

The plans will be trialled around four schools in the city from next month.

Residents of the streets will have to get free permits allowing them to access their homes at these times but emergency services will always be allowed through.

The roads affected include Potters Green Road by Cardinal Wiseman School, Ravensdale Road by Ravensdale Primary School, Oliver Street by Stanton Bridge Primary School and East Street and South Street by Southfields Primary School.

Plans for the scheme, known as school streets, were revealed in March 2023.

They have now been through a public consultation and will be introduced through a traffic order next month.

People can object to the restrictions for the first six months.

A decision to make them permanent will be made after 18 months when the order ends.

The plans are backed by school heads and local councillors, the report for next week’s communities and neighbourhoods scrutiny board added.

The report also claimed the vast majority of people living in the area supported the move.

School streets is a wider project across the UK that aims to make children’s journeys to school healthier and safer.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.