School Streets are where vehicular access is temporarily restricted specifically between school drop off and pick up times during term time. School Streets encourage walking, scooting or cycling and reduce congestion outside school.
How a School Street works
School Streets are installed by using moveable barriers to restrict vehicles from entering a specific street or a section of the street around a participating school, which will temporarily restrict non-essential motor vehicle access at set times in the morning and afternoon. These barriers are manned by trained marshals which are either school staff or volunteers organised and managed by the school.
Vehicles will not be allowed entry to the street during the operating times unless they are exempt. A Traffic Management Order (TMO) will be put in place, which allows the road to be temporarily closed by law. As a legal document, TMOs help us manage the highway network for all road users, improving safety and access.
Signs and barriers at the entrances to the School Street will inform drivers of the restriction. Advanced warning signs are installed where needed. Marshals at the barriers will ask drivers to provide a valid permit to access the street and will only allow authorised vehicles to enter.
A School Street will generally operate Monday – Friday term-time only. The operating times will depend on the school and timed to align with when pupils arrive and leave school. Restrictions will be in place for approximately 30-60 minutes in the morning and 30-60 minutes in the afternoon.
Benefits of School Streets
The main aim of a School Street is to reduce the amount of traffic on streets around a school. There are many benefits for everyone, including
- Increases walking, scooting, cycling and active lifestyles for pupils and parents/carers
- Active travel increases road safety awareness
- Air quality is improved due the reduction in vehicular traffic
- Reduces congestion around schools at peak times to enable social distancing
School Streets locations
The scheme operates at:
- Clare House Primary School
- Poverest Primary School
- Hayes Primary School
We will continue to support existing schools with a School Street. If you are a school, are interested in a School Street and have the necessary people to operate the barriers both AM and PM, please contact us directly. Please note, as School Streets are school led, we can only investigate requests from schools.
Due to operational restraints, no School Street will be installed in the borough unless the school is prepared to organise and operate them through the use of temporary, manned barriers.
Questions and answers about School Streets
What if I need to drive my car in the street during the restricted hours?
Only residents who live within the restriction will be able to access the School Street when displaying a permit. These will be supplied by the London Borough of Bromley. We would encourage you not to enter until after the restriction to ensure the safety of pupils and parents. However, should you need to enter the School Street during the restricted times, you will need to display a permit and communicate this with the marshal.
As the restriction will be staffed at all times, you will be able to leave during the restricted times of the School Street
If you need to drive in the School Street during the restriction, please drive carefully as children and parents will be walking in the road.
How do I apply for a permit and how much does it cost?
Residents who live within the School Street will be issued with a permit. Permits are only required to enter or drive in the School Street during its hours of operation, cars parked for the duration of the School Street hours do not need to display a permit. Should residents require more than one permit per household, please complete the School Streets permit request form. Permits will then be sent in the post; they are free of charge.
How can it be ensured that motorists driving in the School Street are permitted?
Permits will only be issued to residents and families identified by the school where there is an additional need or disability.
What about visitors?
Other drivers who wish to access the school street must arrive before or after the hours of operation.
However, there are some exemptions:
- Emergency services
- Blue Badge holders
- Statutory public services, such as gas/electricity/telephone/broadband companies
- Refuse collectors
- Universal postal service providers, such as the Royal Mail
- Breakdown and recovery vehicles (the so-called fourth emergency service)
- In circumstances where someone requires access to your property for a particular period, e.g. builders or decorators and healthcare workers, it is possible to apply for a temporary permit.
How will it be enforced?
The police have powers to enforce the restrictions. Anyone caught driving through the restricted zones whilst the restriction is in force without a valid permit or exemption can be issued with a fixed penalty notice.