More Croydon ‘School Streets’ earmarked for closure – South London News

By Harrison Gallivan, Local Democracy Reporter

Six streets in Croydon could close during peak drop-off and pick-up times if council plans are approved.

This round of possible closures comes as the latest addition to Croydon’s Healthy School Street (HSS) scheme, which aims to improve road safety and encourage children to use active forms of travel.

Croydon Council announced yesterday that it would like to hear from residents and motorists who use the roads around the schools in a public consultation which will end on May 28.

If implemented, roads will be closed during school pick-up and drop-off times.

Drivers will be fined £130, or £65 if paid within 14 days, for entering the roads during these hours, but some exemptions apply.

The schools considered are:

Applegarth Academy, Fieldway, CR0 9DL

Beulah Road Children’s and Nursery, Furze Road, CR7 8NJ

Harris Primary Academy Purley Way, Propeller Crescent, CR0 4FE

John Wood School and Nursery, Dartnell Road, CR0 6JA

Riddlesdown Collegiate, Honister Heights, CR8 1EX

Rowdown Primary School, Calley Down Crescent, CR0 0EG

While some of the affected roads are far from traffic hotspots, others, such as the Harris Academy Purley Way site, are right next to some of the borough’s busiest thoroughfares.

The board began implementing pilot HSS in 2017. HSS limits traffic on surrounding roads to schools during school drop-off and pick-up times, making the roads safer for children and families.

The board says decisions to implement HSS are made when local stakeholders express an interest in limiting traffic in those school zones.

Those who live on the affected roads are eligible to apply for a free exemption permit, as well as those who may need to access the roads, including transporting children with special needs.

Emergency services and garbage trucks are automatically exempt.

The council has already introduced 23 HSS across the borough.

The council reports: “One in five children starting primary school in Croydon is overweight or obese. By high school, it increases to one in three children.”

Noise reduction is another reason behind the move to more HSS. Council figures show school traffic makes up a quarter of all cars on the road and adds 254,000 vehicles a day in London alone.

Mayor of Croydon, Jason Perry, said: “It is so important that we do everything we can to make journeys to school as safe as possible for our young Croydonians.

“We know that healthy school streets make streets safer for children and families and it’s great that these six schools have asked us to look at introducing them.

“Before we consider proposals from cabinet, we want to hear what people who live locally, schools and drivers who use the roads think about the proposed schemes, so if you are, I encourage you to take the survey and let us know say what you think.”

The consultation documents can be found here.

Pictured above: Sign for a school street in Croydon (Image: Tara O’Connor)

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