Astrea Academy: First Sheffield secondary school joins safer streets scheme

Motorised traffic will not be able use part of Andover Street during pick-up and drop-off times

A Sheffield secondary school has become the first in the city to ban traffic from the road outside at pick-up and drop-off times.

It is hoped the restrictions will improve safety outside Astrea Academy Sheffield after a number of near-misses, Sheffield City Council said.

The so-called School Street, will be closed at the start and end of the school day from Monday to Friday.

The council said it hoped to expand the scheme to other schools in the future.

To date, 12 primary schools have been made part of the scheme as well as Astrea Academy Sheffield, in Burngreave.

From Monday to Friday, Andover Street outside the school will be closed to traffic between 08:00 and 9:15 and 14:30 and 15:45 from its junction with Fox Street.

It is hoped the changes will reduce the amount of traffic in the area, encourage more active travel methods among families and improve air quality.

Assistant principal Lorraine Yates said: "We are already seeing the impact of fewer cars around the academy at key times of the day allowing scholars to travel to and from the academy safely.

"The number of near miss incidents with cars turning in the road and parking on double yellow lines meant that staff were having to direct traffic and stand in the road to ensure scholars could cross safely, this is now something we don't have to do."