A plan to make travelling to school more sustainable has become permanent in Croydon as part of the Healthy School Streets programme.
Eight ‘Healthy School Streets’ are now indefinitely in place after their experimental status ended on July 22.
Healthy School Streets are zones outside schools that restrict cars and reserve roads for pedestrians and cyclists during drop-off and pick-up times.
Local student Panchali said: “I think it’s good to get parents and their children to walk and cycle more. It’s healthy and sustainable.”
The programme is part of Croydon Council’s goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030 by reducing traffic, air quality, and improving overall road safety.
The decision follows six months of consultation with local residents and the school community.
The following eight schools have had their school streets permanently made into a Healthy School Street:
- The Crescent Primary School and The BRIT School
- South Norwood Primary School
- St Cyprians Greek Orthodox Primary School
- Howard Primary School
- Oasis Shirley Park
- Good Shepherd Catholic School
- Kenley Primary School
- Gonville Academy
These schools have already undergone 18 months of trials.
Park Hill Junior and Infants School has not been included after the concerns were raised by local residents about the impact of displacing traffic onto other roads in the area.
Executive Mayor of Croydon Jason Perry said: “Feedback has helped us to develop the schemes so that they are right for each area and has led to us removing the Park Hill scheme after residents told us it wasn’t working.”
This is not the only controversy surrounding Croydon’s Healthy School Streets programme.
Last year, an Inside Croydon Exclusive found that over 20 Healthy School Streets never had CCTV cameras installed.
The programme which operates Mondays to Fridays 8am-9:30am and 2pm-4pm, is enforced by CCTV cameras that automatically recognise number plates.
Anyone without a permit faces a £130 fine, though teachers and residents living within the zones are exempt.
Speaking to Inside Croydon, one parent highlighted how some drivers have exploited the lack of enforcement: “Traffic levels have gradually got back to what it was like before.
“Drivers have twigged there are no cameras.”
According to Croydon Council, pilot schemes have reduced car use by 25% and increased active travel by as much as 65%.
New research by the world’s largest estate agency CBRE reveals that Croydon is the third most eco-friendly borough in Greater London.
Image credit: Peter Trimming licenced under Creative Commons
