The road leading to a village primary school will become a temporary pedestrian and cycle-only zone at school drop-off and pickup times from Monday (28 September).
Vehicle restrictions are being reintroduced around The Green, between Histon and Impington Brook Primary School and the junction with High Street.
Trained volunteers from the community will put out temporary signs and barriers to support the restrictions on the road to the school from 8.25am-9am and 3pm-3.40pm. It means most parents and carers who drive will be required to park around a five-minute walk from the school.
Access for residents, blue badge holders and emergency vehicles will be maintained. The volunteer marshals will help to enable the entry of any exempt vehicles and provide alternative directions to others.
School Streets
Cambridgeshire County Council is running an 18-month trial of the initiative as part of its School Streets scheme. It is being implemented through an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order, which legally introduces temporary traffic restrictions to test a scheme before deciding whether it becomes permanent.
A Council spokesperson said: “The aim of the School Street is to create a safer, calmer, and more welcoming environment for children and families travelling to school on foot or by bike.” Its effectiveness and impact on the surrounding streets and neighbours will be monitored throughout the 18-month trial.
Public engagement
Earlier this year, HI HUB revealed Brook Primary would be trialling a School Streets scheme. Results from the prior public engagement exercise revealed that out of 54 responses, 89% were in favour of its implementation.
The County Council added there were “frequent comments about near misses and the unsuitability of the road for the number of pedestrians, cyclists and vehicles at the start and end of the school day”.
During four observation sessions, the busiest recorded 333 pedestrians walking to the school, 69 pupils travelling by scooter or bike and 24 arriving by car or motorbike.
The Council noted that while some nearby residents initially had questions about access, they were reassured that they would still be able to reach their properties. Concerns were raised about the behaviour of some parents and carers if residents needed to use their vehicles during the restricted times.
Brook Primary has been approached for comment.
Further details can be found on Cambridgeshire County Council’s website. Feedback on the trial, including any concerns, should be sent to school.streets@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.
READ MORE: School traffic scheme to be trialled for 18-months; Traffic scheme trial considered for village school
Please also consider the area around Brooke Close we are most days un able to get in and out of own drives at this time due to drop offs they use this small dead end and the back of the cottages to park up and walk to school.
This is going to make it even worse.
I’m surprised bin lorries are allowed to access during these times. It doesn’t seem beyond the wit of man to schedule a time outside of these restrictions.
Won’t somebody think of the drivers!
As always throughout this process, we residents – who do our very best NOT to use the only access road to our home at school times – have been kept in the dark about progress so the first we heard that this is going ahead was a week ago on 17 Sept. Today the double yellows were painted so the go-ahead was probably known a while ago. We have always been aware that we live near a school – though for a long time after we moved here, it was only Juniors and a lot fewer of them – so we are very aware of and careful of pedestrians at all times.
Whilst the article above correctly says that residents, blue badge holders and emergency vehicles will still have full access, it misses out ‘taxis for school transport’ which was on the letter that we received. The article and the letter, also leaves out the blanket exemptions in the second section below, which is copied directly from the ‘School Streets: Histon & Impington Brook Primary School’ page on the County Council website:
Exemptions
The following people are eligible for an exemption and can enter and leave the new School Street:
– residents located on the restricted street or who have to pass through the restriction to access an adjoining street
– pupils, parents and carers who are Blue Badge holders
– carers of vulnerable residents who live on the restricted street
Additionally, blanket exemptions apply for:
– emergency services
– local authority school buses
– utility providers attending emergencies
– bin lorries
– postal and courier services
Our understanding is that no record will be kept of who is turned away, nor have we been told how we can evidence that we do live here so please, volunteers, can we politely request that the full list is respected? Clearly we are not delighted that the long-term lack of suitable parking / pick up / access for those who need it (or those who just want it) means that those of us who live here face twice daily restrictions to access our own homes, though of course we will continue to avoid the area if we possibly can, as always.
We’d really appreciate it if the school and county council would honour their promise to keep us updated throughout this trial.
No-one wants anyone to get hurt. There’s no clear evidence that anyone ever has been. So please can we all continue to help the children to learn that it is a road, and that roads are not safe spaces for children. And that if they this road use at any other time, it needs to be treated like any other road. Thank you.