Aim for active school runs with £1m spend

Some areas outside certain primary schools are now cycle and pedestrian only zones

A council has spent over £1m on transport improvements outside primary schools to encourage walking and cycling.

West Sussex County Council (WSCC) said the changes aimed to encourage families to leave their cars at home and choose active and sustainable travel options for the school run.

The council said it had trialled restricting traffic on roads outside schools during drop-off and pick-up times, with certain exemptions, making some areas pedestrian and cycle only zones.

The trials have been so successful that changes were now permanent outside three primary schools, with a further three in Crawley, Chichester and Littlehampton also set to trial the experiment, the council said.

WSCC has also secured over £1m from Active Travel England to deliver more safety improvements throughout 2024-25.

A spokesperson said some of the improvements included new cycle paths, improvements to existing and building new puffin crossings, including one at West Worthing station, and alterations to bus stops and parking restrictions outside Yapton Primary School.

Councillor Joy Dennis said: "I’m delighted that more schools are joining the successful School Streets initiative, and we are able to deliver more safety improvement projects outside our schools, as part of our commitment to making journeys to school safer."