More Croydon ‘School Streets’ earmarked for closure

By Harrison Gallivan, Local Democracy Reporter

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

This round of potential closures comes as the latest addition to Croydon’s Healthy School Street scheme (HSS), 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 drivers who use the roads around the schools in a public consultation that will end on May 28. 

If implemented the roads will be closed at school pick-up and drop-off times. 

Drivers will face a fine of £130, or £65 if paid within 14 days, for entering the roads at these times, but some exemptions do apply.

The schools being considered are:

Applegarth Academy, Fieldway , CR0 9DL

Beulah Road Infant 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 away from traffic hotspots, others, like the Harris Academy Purley Way site are just off some of the borough’s busiest thoroughfares.

The council started implementing experimental HSS in 2017. HSS limits traffic in surrounding roads to schools during school drop-off and pick-up times, making roads safer for children and families.

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

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

Emergency services and bin lorries 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 secondary school, this increases to one in three children.”

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

Mayor of Croydon Jason Perry said: “It’s so important that we do what we can to make journeys to school as safe as possible for our younger 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 into introducing them.

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

The consultation papers can be found here.

Pictured top: Sign for a School Street in Croydon (Picture: Tara O’Connor)