School Streets pilot begins to reduce congestion and improve safety
Four schools across the county are taking part in the Wiltshire Council trial
A pilot is underway at four schools across Wiltshire aimed at creating safer, healthier and less congested environments for families during the school run.
The School Streets pilot has been introduced at: Aloeric Primary School, Melksham Fynamore Primary School, Calne Minster Primary School, Warminster Queen's Crescent Primary School, Chippenham.
It temporarily restricts through traffic on roads outside schools at the start and end of the school day during term time.
The measures are designed to improve safety, reduce congestion and encourage more walking, wheeling and cycling.
The schemes are being introduced under Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs), allowing the council to monitor how they operate in practice while continuing to gather feedback from residents, parents, schools, businesses and the wider community over the next 18 months.
The measures will be enforced using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras.
Exemptions apply for emergency services, people living within the restricted areas, businesses located within the zones and people with defined needs.
Wiltshire Council said no fixed penalty notices will be issued during the first few weeks of the trial to drivers that enter a School Streets zone for legitimate reasons, while people familiarise themselves with the new arrangements.
Cllr Ian Thorn, Leader of Wiltshire Council, said:
“School Streets are designed to reduce traffic and congestion at the busiest times of the school day, helping to make the areas outside schools calmer, safer and more pleasant for everyone.
“This pilot supports our commitment in Our Wiltshire Plan to have safer roads and promote walking and cycling. By introducing the schemes as an experimental trial, we can see how they work in practice and continue listening to local communities before making any decisions about the future.
“I’d like to thank the schools, residents and businesses who have engaged with us throughout the process, and I’d encourage people to continue sharing their feedback during the trial period.
“We’ve heard the concerns raised by local people, particularly around access for elderly relatives, carers and tradespeople, and we’ve listened. We will take a proportionate approach during the first few weeks of the trial, while people become familiar with the new arrangements. Our aim is to change behaviour around the school run and make it safer for school pupils and their carers, not to penalise people who have a genuine need to access these areas.”