Council to expand school road safety scheme

Medway Council has opened a consultation to expand its School Streets Scheme

Medway Council is considering expanding its road safety scheme to nine additional schools.

Earlier this year, seven roads outside schools in Medway became a pedestrian and cycle only areas during drop-off and pick-up times in the school term.

The Schools Streets programme is designed to make the journey to and from school safer and healthier by reducing cars and pollution.

Exemptions include taxis, residents of the streets, blue badge holders and emergency services.

Alex Paterson, the council’s portfolio holder for community safety, highways and enforcement, said: "I would ask residents, teachers, parents and anyone else with an interest, to help us fine-tune the details of these proposals for the next wave of School Streets, so that they can deliver the maximum benefit.”

A six-week consultation has opened and is to close on 27 September.

The schools being considered in the council’s proposals are:

• Crest Infant & Nursery School / Delce Academy, Rochester

• Cliffe Woods Primary School, Cliffe Woods

• Fairview Community Primary, Rainham

• High Halstow Primary Academy, High Halstow

• Hilltop Primary School, Frindsbury

• Horsted Primary, Chatham

• The King’s Pre & Preparatory, Rochester

• St Margaret’s Infant School and St Margaret’s Church of England Junior School, Rainham

• St William of Perth Catholic Primary School, Rochester

Vehicles that break the restrictions will be recorded by Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR).

A grace period was implemented in streets already participating in the scheme, the council said.

However, after six months, drivers who break the rules will be subject to a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN).