Agenda item

Report of the Corporate Director of Environment and Resident Experience. To be presented by the Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Environment & Transport

The Cabinet Member for Climate Action, Environment and Transport introduced the report. It was explained that School Streets helped boost children’s physical activity and that, by making streets traffic-free at school opening and closing times, the Council created safer, cleaner, more welcoming spaces that encouraged walking, cycling, and scooting. It was explained that one of the main barriers preventing children from being active was road danger. Parents drove their children to school because they did not feel the streets were safe for walking or cycling. School Streets created protected spaces where children could arrive at school actively, building crucial patterns of daily exercise they would carry through life.

It was additionally noted that School Streets were about more than managing traffic - they were about reimagining what kind of borough Haringey aspired to be, a fairer, greener Haringey meant streets designed for people, especially the youngest residents. The three schools in this report, St Francis de Sales RC Infant and Junior Schools, Bounds Green Infant and Junior Schools, and Welbourne Primary School, joined over 40 other schools already benefiting from School Streets, with more to come as part of the Council’s ambitious plan.

It was explained that, in Haringey, the choice was to be a borough where every child could walk, cycle, or scoot to school safely, where the school run strengthened rather than threatened community wellbeing, and where physical activity was woven into the fabric of daily life.

In response to comments and questions from Cllrs Arkell, Chandwani and Emery, the following information was shared:

• It was explained by officers that, on all School Streets the Council implement, enhanced monitoring would be undertaken to understand and access the impact. It was stressed that views of residents would be taken into account in the implementation on School Streets.
  
  
• It was asked about the management of traffic onto adjacent roads. Officers explained that they would monitor School Streets to ensure the effectiveness of the School Street and review the School Street location based on the site of the school, as well as ensure good levels of enforcement on adjacent roads. It was noted that dispersal data would be shared with Cabinet Members.
  
  

RESOLVED:

That Cabinet:

1. Considered all feedback, including objections to the proposed permanent traffic management orders, as set out in Appendix A, together with the feedback themes and responses to objections as set out in Appendix G.
   
   
2. Agreed that the Council would exercise its discretion not to cause a public inquiry to be held (see paragraph 6.34).
3. Approved that the following School Streets projects (as shown in Appendix B) be implemented:
   1. St Francis de Sales RC Infant and Junior Schools (SS15)
   2. Bounds Green Infant and Junior Schools (SS48)
   3. Welbourne Primary School, Stainby Road entrance (SS54)
      
      
4. Authorised the Head of Highways and Parking to make all necessary traffic management orders (TMOs) and install/undertake all necessary highway infrastructure and works required to give effect to the School Street designs set out in Appendix B of the report.

Reasons for Decision

School Streets were a key priority for the Council, as set out in the School Street Plan, the Walking and Cycling Action Plan, and the Corporate Delivery Plan (CDP 2024–26).

The reasons for recommendation 3.3 were:

To improve the health of children by increasing active travel, and to reduce road danger and improve air quality near school gates.

The schools were supportive of the plans.

The proposals contributed toward the strategic objectives of the Council (see Section 7).

Alternative Options Considered

Do nothing:
This option was rejected, as not delivering School Streets would not have met the objectives set out in the Corporate Delivery Plan, the Transport Strategy, the Climate Change Action Plan, the Walking and Cycling Action Plan, and the School Street Plan