Date published: 2025-10-24 | Category: Giving people a bigger say, Transport and Development
Action to make getting to school safer, healthier and more sustainable for pupils has been set out in a new report seeking approval to create a number of School Streets in Bath.
Following requests from schools for improvements to the environment around school entrances to enable walking and cycling, Bath and North East Somerset Council is proposing to introduce School Streets at Widcombe Infant and Junior School, St Philip’s Church of England Primary School and St Stephen’s Primary Church School as part of its School Streets programme.
In addition, a School Street planned for Newbridge Primary is proposed as part of the Lyme Road and Charmouth Road Liveable Neighbourhood scheme.
School Streets encourage children to walk or cycle to school, which supports their physical health, mental wellbeing, and readiness to learn. By reducing the number of vehicles near school entrances, they help lower the risk of accidents and create a safer, calmer environment for everyone around the school gates.
They also improve the environment directly outside schools at the start and end of the school day with temporary restrictions to vehicles on weekdays during term time, generally operating for between 30 to 60 minutes in the morning and afternoon.
Exemptions would apply to emergency service vehicles and blue badge holders and would also be considered for residents living on the street and pupils of the schools with an Educational, Health and Care Plan in place.
Further measures to support active travel, improve road safety and enhance the public realm may also be introduced to complement a School Street.
A single member decision report outlining the programme and seeking approval to start work on four schemes under a Traffic Regulation Order consultation is going before Councillor Lucy Hodge, cabinet member for Sustainable Transport Delivery and Councillor Mark Elliot, Cabinet Member for Resources. https://democracy.bathnes.gov.uk/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=41301&PlanId=1026&RPID=257183239.
Councillor Lucy Hodge said: “We all know there is often traffic congestion on the roads around schools at the beginning and end of the school day sometimes leading to dangerous incidents and inconsiderate parking so I welcome the report before me which addresses this and will carefully consider the recommendations that have been set out.”
Subject to approval, the council intends to engage with residents and the school community on the design and operation of a school street, including exemptions, with a view to launching them in the spring following a statutory public consultation.
The council’s intention is to support as many School Streets as possible and funding for these schemes is being made available from Bath’s Clean Air Zone (CAZ) fund, the council’s 2025/26 revenue budget and from the West of England Combined Authority’s Active Travel Fund.
School Streets also aim to improve air quality and help address the climate and nature emergency. Currently, transport is responsible for 36 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions in B&NES and the city of Bath is ranked fifth most congested urban area in the UK. Work to address this, including School Streets, is set out in the council’s Movement Strategy - a transformative 10-year plan to address Bath’s transport network.
The Movement Strategy sets out a vision for how people and goods will move around Bath over the next decade, supporting the council’s ambition to achieve net zero and create great places for everyone to live, work and visit.
The public consultation on it is now open and will run until Friday 28 November. Residents, businesses, and visitors are encouraged to read the Movement Strategy and share their feedback via the website: www.banestransport.co.uk.
October is International Walk to School Month, when pupils around the globe celebrate the joys of walking and wheeling to school. To find out more go to https://www.livingstreets.org.uk/get-involved/international-walk-to-sch….
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