About the School Streets scheme
A School Street is where one or more roads (or a part of a road) near a school entrance temporarily closes to motor traffic at the beginning and end of the school day.
A School Street creates an area with reduced vehicular movements and a quieter and calmer experience for school children and other pedestrians and cyclists.
Signs inform drivers of the restrictions before the entrance to the School Street.
Why we want to create School Streets
School Streets are part of our strategy to improve road safety, traffic congestion and air quality in the borough.
The drop-off and pick-up rush at opening and closing times can produce an unsafe environment for pedestrians and motorists. Parked cars, running children and moving vehicles pose hazards to even the best of drivers. Residents are also inconvenienced by drivers from outside the neighbourhood using local streets as a ‘cut through’ to bypass main roads. School Streets can transform residential roads into quieter, calmer spaces.
We have been working with schools in the borough to promote active travel for a number of years. However, many schools and parents are still concerned by road safety and air pollution around schools.
We receive many requests for general traffic management and safety improvements that are demonstrated to not be justified, given finite resources, in terms of accidents, speeds and traffic flows.
However, a more moderate approach is taken near schools recognising the particular concerns there are towards children's safety, active travel and exposure to pollution. We hope that some of these concerns will be addressed by reducing the number of vehicles at school start and finish times.
Walking and Cycling Strategy
Our Walking and Cycling Strategy follows a 'people-led' approach toward healthy streets. We work with residents and stakeholders to improve the experience of being on a street by using 10 indicators, such as clean air and places to stop and rest.
Environmental Strategy
Our Environmental Strategy supports the implementation of School Streets to improve safety and air quality by reducing the number of private vehicles around schools. This is in accord with the national hierarchy of road users, which places the greatest responsibility for safety on road users most able to cause damage.
How School Streets improve our streets
School Streets are designed to improve the street environment for residents, parents/carers, and children on their way to school by reducing danger and enabling active journeys to school. School Streets are therefore intended to:
- Improve road safety
- Reduce traffic outside schools
- Improve air quality, with fewer engines idling
- Reduce inconsiderate parking and dangerous manoeuvres
- Encourage more walking, cycling, and kick-scooting to school
- Support the mental and physical wellbeing of all children
- Create a healthier, calmer, more pleasant street
Restrictions for drivers
Vehicles will not be able to enter the School Streets during the hours of operation unless they are exempt. Please see our frequently asked questions section for further details of exemptions and how to register an exemption for CCTV ANPR camera enforced School Streets.
Signs, similar to the example below, will inform drivers of the restrictions before the entrance to the School Street. At some closures, advance warning signs will be installed where needed, as will camera signs where appropriate.
School Street permits and CPZ permits
Do not confuse School Street permit holders with holders of Controlled Parking Zone permits. These are entirely separate permits, and one does not cover the other.
Having a permit for the relevant CPZ or a valid blue badge will not permit you to enter the zone during the hours of operation. You will face the risk of incurring a penalty charge notice (PCN).
While a CPZ permit or blue badge will be required to park, it does not qualify you to enter the School Streets scheme during the operational times.
Residents and businesses who live and work within camera enforced School Street restricted areas will be able to apply for exemption, as well as Blue Badge holders needing to access these properties. This also includes eligible visitors to the area.
Vehicles already parked within a School Street can exit without a penalty.
Operating times
School Streets operate Monday to Friday in term time only, but signs will not be closed during school holidays and half term breaks. It is not a statutory requirement to close them.
See school term dates for more general information, or the locations page for specific school enforcement and holiday dates. Check the locations table to see when a school day has an early finish at the end of term.
Management and enforcement
New schemes are being proposed under an experimental traffic order to be able to monitor any impacts before considering making the schemes permanent.
There are three main methods of management used in Wandsworth.
Physical barriers with volunteers preventing access
Physical barriers tend to be used at the start of a scheme until it settles. This is not expected to be a long-term management strategy and only works when a school can identify staff or parent, resident or community volunteers to support.
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras
ANPR cameras work best for streets with higher traffic volumes often used as cut throughs to avoid roads designated to carry through traffic. They are not appropriate for all locations. ANPR cameras require exempt vehicles to be registered on an exemption list.
Signs only
This is the ideal method of management once a School Street as settled and works best at low volume/no through road locations where the main users are residents and the school community who understand the restrictions.
Details of each scheme's enforcement methods and times are provided during the consultation and can be found on the location pages.
School Streets can only be enforced during the time shown on the sign.
How to apply for an exemption
For details of which schools are camera operated and how to register for exemption, see exemptions.
An exemption application is not required for non-camera/signage/barrier operated schemes.
Locations
The School Street location page shows details of each School Street.
View a borough map of all existing and proposed School Streets.
For more information, email schoolstreets@wandsworth.gov.uk.
Implementation process and phases
See information about the implementation process and each delivery phase.