Learning lessons Bid to restrict school drop offs in peak hours
APLAN to identify which roads in the county should restrict motorists from dropping their kids at school during peak hours could be approved next month.
Gloucestershire County Council voted to allow senior councillors to decide the first step of a proposal which would mean vehicles would be restricted from stopping outside a school’s gates for a short period during drop-off in the morning and pick-up in the afternoon.
The authority’s Liberal Democrats put forward a motion proposing to also introduce no-idling zones for vehicles outside the county’s schools at full council last week.
Campaigners in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham, said earlier this year they want the proposal to go ahead because the air pollution created by vehicles can lead to damage in childrens’ lungs.
There are more than 90 schools across the UK which have shut nearby roads around schools during the school run, including in Bristol, Camden and Edinburgh, as part of the School Streets initiative.
The motion also proposes for new trees, hedges and grass-like living walls to be piloted from September so toxins can’t get past the school gate.
Councillor Iain Dobie said he’s been running an unofficial trial scheme outside Warden Hill Primary School dissuading motorists from dropping their kids off at the school gate.
In the full council meeting, councillor Nigel Moor said the decision will be made at cabinet next month because the councillors couldn’t make it in the meeting.
Mr Dobie said in the meeting: “I am really concerned by moving this motion to cabinet we’re introducing another delay. That this is just another delay tactic and frankly I’m not surprised at that.
“I’m worried that the unofficial
School Streets pilot in Warden Hill will be left in limbo by this move, rather than being adopted as the official pilot from this county council.”
Mr Moor (C, Stow-on-the-wold) said: “The Conservative administration does support helping children travel to school in an environmentally friendly manner, including walking and cycling.
“But we want it to be an evidencebased approach. School Streets is an interesting idea, and we’re happy to back a trial scheme.
“The evidence actually from elsewhere is mixed, and I would want to see how a scheme works here before committing to expand them to more schools.
“Because the motion proposes both spending outside the budget and decisions are a type full council can’t make, I will be proposing to move this to cabinet for consideration in July.”
This is just another delay tactic and frankly I am not surprised by that
Councillor Iain Dobie