School streets

What is a School Street? A school street is where a road outside a school is temporarily closed to motor vehicles at specific times of day. This opens up the street to families on foot, bicycle or scooter at school drop off and pick up times.

School Street schemes offer a proactive solution for school communities to tackle air pollution, poor health and road safety concerns. They encourage a healthier lifestyle and active travel to school for families and lead to a better environment for everyone.

They improve safety for your children and their friends, by reducing road danger, and creating a cleaner environment.

By making a safer, cleaner, more pleasant environment, school streets also increase the likelihood that children will walk or cycle to school instead of travelling by car leading to better mental and physical heath.

School Streets are to be considered as part of the School Safe Environment Zones (SSEZ) programme to improve road safety and congestion issues around Swindon’s schools.

The introduction of School Streets will be determined as schools are prioritised for SSEZ’s and will depend on individual school circumstances. Each school will be judged on their own merits, as they will all have a unique set of characteristics.

The use of a School Street as a suitable initiative will depend on a number of factors such as (but not limited to):

• school location and the surrounding road network
• existing parking restrictions
• history of reported injury collisions
• the pupil 'mode of travel' data
• traffic speeds
• accessibility requirements
• the level of school engagement

The first trial School Street was introduced in year 1 of the SSEZ programme in March 2021 on Staldon Road, East Wichel.

Two further school streets were implemented in February 2022 on Davenwood, Stratton and Leigh Road, Penhill as part of the year 2 programme.

A further School Street is proposed to be implemented on Rainscombe Road as part of the year 4 programme

The SSEZ review is undertaken during March and April.

Each school will undergo further investigation into whether they are suitable for a School Street. After the review and further investigations are completed, any identified schools suitable for a possible School Street will be added to the list on the main School Streets page.

Specific street(s) around the selected schools will become a pedestrian and cycle only zone during specified times in the morning and afternoon.

Motor vehicles will not be allowed to enter the section of street during the times of operation, except for in certain circumstances.

Vehicles will be permitted to leave residential or school premises within the School Street at any time.

The first trial scheme at East Wichel Primary School came into operation on 8 March 2021.

New trial sites at St Catherine’s RC Primary School and Sevenfields Primary came into operation in March 2023. 

A new trial site for Badbury Park Primary School is due to commence soon.

Informal consultation will be carried out with the local community and key stakeholders following preliminary design.

Subject to feedback received, if the decision is taken to proceed with a trial School Street, an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) will be brought into effect. Formal consultation will be undertaken in accordance with statutory requirements. Representations may be made for or against an ETRO during the initial 6 months of the order being in place.

The times of operation will vary depending on individual school circumstances.

View the timings of the School Streets and see if your street is affected.

The first trial School Street scheme has been  introduced as an ETRO for a temporary period of up to 18 months. During this period the trial information will be collected on how effective the initiative is at improving road safety and encouraging sustainable travel. At the end of the 18 months, a decision will be made whether to make the School Street permanent or not..

Yes. Local highway authorities can implement TROs to control traffic in their area. These are legal powers and can be experimental or permanent.

Streets that are not yet adopted as public highway and may still be under construction within new developments can be considered, with the permission of the developer/land owner.

Anyone who drives into the School Street during the restricted times, who does not have a permit or is not exempt from the restriction, will be in contravention of the TRO and may be subject to a Fixed Penalty Notice issued by the Police.

Swindon’s School Street will have a School Street Marshal. A school street marshal will manage the start of the restricted section of road. Physical features will be placed within the carriageway to deter vehicles proceeding past this point during the restricted times.  School Street Permits will need to be displayed at all times. The School Street Marshal will ask to see permits if they are not displayed, if a resident or visitor does not have a permit they will not be able to enter with their vehicle until the restriction is lifted.

During the restricted times, you will not be allowed to enter the School Street in a vehicle, unless you have a valid reason. These include:

• being a Blue Badge holder (or your child is)
• being a member of school staff, accessing on-premises parking
• being a resident of the street
• working at business premises on the street. This is not applicable for Staldon Road.

You will still be able to walk, cycle or scoot to school. If that isn't an option for you, you will be able to drive and park nearby and walk the final section. At some, schools Park and Stride schemes are available to make this easier.

If a school has on-site parking, school staff will be permitted to enter the School Street during the timed restrictions to access the parking. If a member of staff is stopped they may be asked to provide evidence, such as a school ID, before they are allowed to proceed through the restrictions. However, we ask staff to avoid doing this if possible, and to arrive and leave the on-site parking outside of the times the restrictions are in place.

We ask visitors to try to time their arrivals and departures outside of the closure times to keep traffic movements to a minimum as children and their families arrive at, or leave, school. During the restricted times, we ask visitors to park further away unless they are Blue Badge holders. However, if a visitor is already in the School Street area before the restriction start time, they can leave the street at any time.

Visitors

We ask that residents co-ordinate with any visitors to avoid arriving during the 45 - 60 minute window in the morning and 45 - 60 minute window in the afternoon when the restriction is in force. Outside of these periods, access is unaffected. Delivery drivers, carers and those persons working on behalf of utility companies within the School Street will be exempt from the restriction. These individuals are exempt as it is not possible to set the times at which such services arrive on site.

Tradespeople

All tradespeople carrying out works on properties located within the school exclusion zone will be exempt from the restriction and will not require a permit.

The restrictions will not apply to:

• residents who have a valid school street permit to access the properties within the restricted section
• Blue Badge holders who require access to the properties within the restricted section
• emergency services
• doctors and health care visitors to residents within the section of the School Street that is restricted
• business owners with premises in the section of the street that is restricted - not applicable to Staldon Road
• school staff, accessing on-site parking
• contracted school transport
• delivery and postal services, delivering and collecting from properties within the restricted section of the School Street
• tradespeople carrying out work to a building within the restricted section of the School Street
• utility companies working in the restricted section of the School Street
• buses and taxis for access to, and from, the school and properties within the restricted section

We ask any drivers permitted to enter the School Street to try to time their arrivals and departures outside of the closure times if possible. This will reduce the number of vehicles on the street while families are arriving at, or leaving, school.

We will contact residents within a street of a proposed School Street when a trial is to be implemented and advise of the steps they will need to follow to acquire a School Street permit. Or, if you are a resident in an established school street, you can apply, renew or report a lost/stolen permit online.

The owner of a vehicle registered at a property within the restricted School Street can apply for a maximum of two permits per household (one permit per vehicle). See terms and conditions.

School Street permits must be displayed in the vehicle windscreen whenever the vehicle is driven through the restriction.

School Street permits are not transferable to other vehicles. This is a moving traffic order, which is enforced by the Police. School Street permits are registered to a vehicle registration number which must be registered to a property within the section of road that is designated a school street.

These School Street permits are not parking permits, these are issued only to allow a resident entry to their property during the restricted times.

The scheme will only operate during the week, Monday to Friday. The dates of school and bank holidays are not fixed and change from year to year so it has not been possible to write into the restriction that it will operate as term time only. Therefore the restriction will be in place throughout the year.

As part of the trial Swindon Borough Council, in conjunction with the school, will be promoting alternative forms of travel, encouraging parents and children to walk to school from home and encouraging compliance with the restrictions by others.

It is acknowledged that displacement of parking is a possible side-effect as it is not possible for all parents and carers to walk to school. However, efforts will be made to keep this to a minimum. Where possible, we will be working with local businesses to identify alternative parking locations for parents and carers to use. 

Information on where to park can be found on the School Streets permits webpage.