Warwickshire school streets scheme to improve safety

Head teacher Suki Edwards said she hoped the trial would help improve safety, air quality and encourage more families to walk, scoot or cycle to school

A traffic-free zone is to be set up around a school in a trial aimed at making streets safer for children.

A pilot School Streets scheme is being launched around Eastlands Primary School in the Hillmorton area of Rugby.

It will see vehicles, other than those belonging to local residents, banned during the school's start and finish times.

The head teacher hopes it will improve safety, reduce pollution and encourage families to walk or cycle to school.

School Streets schemes are already in place outside schools in areas across the UK and aim reduce traffic and make it safer for children crossing the road.

They also aim to make it easier for people who live around the school to drive in and out, encourage more families to walk, scoot and cycle to school as well as improving air quality in the area.

During the pilot scheme at Eastlands Primary School, from 6 November, Lansdowne Place will be closed to all non-residential traffic during term time, Monday through to Friday from 08:15 to 09:15 and from 14:30 to 15:30.

Councillor Jan Matecki, from Warwickshire County Council, said: "It's such a simple concept that has a wide range of important benefits that it can realise, from improving rush-hour congestion and decreasing road traffic collisions, to improving the air quality around our schools."

Suki Edwards, head teacher at Eastlands Primary School, added: "Over the years we have worked hard with our community to raise awareness of considerate [and] safe parking, reducing pollution around school gates and encouraging healthy lifestyles by walking, scooting or cycling to school.

"I am sure this project will support our hard work and lead to a further change in the behaviour of drivers and by doing so, make the journey to school even safer and healthier each morning."