Third School Street scheme to launch

School day road closures during drop off and pick up times are to be introduced on streets outside Chillingham Road Primary School, in Heaton.

The scheme will start after the Christmas break, from Monday, 16 January, to help reduce traffic, improve road safety and cut pollution outside the school.

It’s the third School Street to launch in the city, following on from Hotspur Primary School also in Heaton, and Grange First primary school in Gosforth.

Cllr Jane Byrne, cabinet member for a connected, clean city at Newcastle City Council, said: “We’re very pleased to be launching a new school streets scheme at Chillingham Road Primary School from 16 January 2023.

“We know that the school and local families are looking forward to this as it will help them to enjoy safer and more pleasant journeys to school.

“Through engagement work, we are aware of a range of concerns in and around the area at school times such as illegal and unsafe parking, pavement parking, engine idling and difficulties for people walking and wheeling to school, along with inconvenience for local residents. 

“This School Street will make the last leg of people’s journeys to school safer and healthier and will encourage more people to use active travel for some of their journey, which benefits everyone, as well as helping local residents.

“This is one of a number of similar schemes that we’re introducing in areas across the city, with two more planned for later in January and further ones being developed in partnership with other local schools and communities.”

The closures will be in place between 8am and 9.30am on school day mornings, and again between 2.30pm and 4pm on school day afternoons.

Roads affected include Tenth Street and Ninth Street, as well as the back lanes behind Tenth Street and Ninth Street. The scheme will also complement the nearby School Street at Hotspur Primary school which is proving popular with parents, carers and residents, as well as further measures to restrict traffic cutting through nearby streets as part of the safer, greener and cleaner neighbourhood scheme, making it much safer for children in the area to walk or wheel on school journeys.

Newcastle City Council is working with schools and with Sustrans, the charity that promotes walking and cycling, to introduce School Street schemes across the city, with a further two schemes planned to launch later in January 2023.

People will be invited to provide comments and feedback on the scheme during the first six months of it being implemented. Following this feedback and views will be looked at to determine whether any changes are needed.

For more information about School Streets or to comment on a scheme visit www.newcastle.gov.uk/schoolstreets