Active Travel Initiative - School Streets

As part of the Government’s Active Travel Fund (ATF) initiative, the County Council is developing School Streets to promote Active Travel as part of our developing Active Travel to School programme.

School Streets provide a safer and more attractive environment to the roads outside schools. We anticipate this will encourage an active form of travel to and from the school gates, ultimately mitigating congestion and improving air quality.

Feedback from the schools and surrounding communities is a vital part of our ongoing monitoring and evaluation at every stage of any school street delivery.

Engagement for the 24/25 School Street schemes will commence September 2024 with school engagement and scheme development.

View the final trial report here.

Background

The School Street Scheme prohibits motor vehicles entering the road directly at the school gates at drop-off and pick-up times, with exceptions for residents’ vehicles, businesses, Blue Badge holders, emergency services and certain others.

The County Council is working with the school and surrounding residents to ensure the School Street meets the needs of the local community.

The engagement will help to:

• understand the impact of a School Street on the schools, residents, businesses and wider communities
• determine if a School Street has a positive impact on sustainable travel modes such as walking, wheeling or cycling
• assess the suitability of individual sites (i.e. location of school, surrounding environment and impact on local infrastructure)
• assess the feasibility of delivering a School Street (i.e. displacement of traffic, resources required and adequate monitoring periods)
• understand the perception of safety outside the school gates and if the implemented School Street has improved this.

The County Council, supported by Sustrans (opens in new window), and Living Streets (opens in new window) will be delivering various in-school activities during the Spring 2025 term which will support children with necessary skills and knowledge.

Alongside this, schools will be undertaking some reporting and monitoring as well as completing surveys to help provide important data for the School Street.

Following the successful trial, the scheme has been extended to deliver three further School Streets in 24/25.

Beyond 24/25, further School Streets will be based on level of interest and engagement from Schools, alongside data, evidence and a suitability report. Each site will be judged on its own merit. School Streets will be part of our wider Active Travel to School initiatives.

School representatives can contact the team at activetravel@westsussex.gov.uk to record their interest in Active Travel to School initiatives.

School Streets developing from September 2024.

Decision Details for the 24/25 School Streets

The 24/25 School Streets schemes aim to encourage pupils and their families to make active and sustainable travel choices for the school run at:

The Mill Primary Primary Academy, Ifield Drive, Crawley (MAP).

With motor vehicles prohibited between 8 to 9am and 2.30 - 4pm

St Josephs Infant and Junior School, Orchard Street, Chichester (MAP).

With motor vehicles prohibited between 8 to 9am and 2.30 - 4pm

River Beach primary School, York Street, Littlehampton (MAP).

With motor vehicles prohibited between 8 to 9.30am and 2.30 - 4pm.

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Ongoing Monitoring and Evaluation

School Streets will have constant monitoring and evaluation.

Signs publicising the new restrictions and timings will be installed at the entrances to each School Street and monitoring will be used to gather data from before and during the implementation of each School Street

A permanent TRO will be part of School Street and this will subject to a public consultation.

For more detailed information, please visit our FAQs on this page.

Accessibility

How to have your say

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Alternative Formats and Accessibility

If you require any of the information for this project in an alternative format, please contact us on 01243 642105 or via email at schoolstreets@westsussex.gov.uk and we will do our best to assist you. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and have an NGT texting app installed on your computer, laptop or smartphone, you can contact us on 18001 01243 642105.

For more information about the accessibility of this website, please see our Accessibility tab (opens in new window) at the foot of the page.

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