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Many schools suffer with parking, congestion, road danger and air quality issues immediately outside their school. The Healthy School Streets project aims to:
make the streets outside schools safer at the start and end of the school day
discourage car journeys to school
improve air quality in the vicinity of the school
cut down on traffic outside the school
If you have a request for a Healthy School Street or would like to give feedback on an existing scheme, please email: healthy.school.streets@camden.gov.uk
How does it work?
We assess streets outside schools that have medium to low levels of traffic, which can reasonably be closed to motor traffic during school opening and closing times, without moving too much traffic elsewhere.
The streets are closed by signage and enforced either by bollards raised and lowered by school staff, or by using Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras.
In addition to providing engineering measures such as a Healthy School Street, we can work with schools to help reduce the number of pupils being driven to school by:
providing pedestrian and cycle training
encouraging walking and cycling
running events to raise awareness and excitement about walking and cycling
helping schools to achieve an accreditation on the Sustainable Travel: Active Responsible Safe (STARS) project - the Transport for London initiative for school travel planning.
How can I suggest a Healthy School Street?
We currently have 4 Healthy School Streets in Camden. As of September 2020, a phased programme of Healthy School Streets will be rolled out as part of the Enabling Safe Travel in Camden scheme.
The first Healthy School Street we implemented is on Macklin Street at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Holborn and Covent Garden.
Our monitoring of the scheme shows that there has been minimal impact on residents and businesses on the street, a reduction in the number of parents driving their children to the school, and parents report a significant improvement in how safe they feel the school street is. Air quality on Macklin Street has also improved.
View the Healthy School Street video for St Josephs Healthy School Street:
Acland Burghley School
The second scheme on Burghley Road launched in September 2018. This is the first scheme in Camden which uses Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras for enforcement of the closure. More details of the original trial scheme can be found in the Acland Burghley HSS report (PDF). The scheme has now been made permanent. The report that includes data and feedback gathered during the trial can be found on the We Are Camden website here
Gospel Oak Primary School
The third Healthy School Street on Savernake Road outside Gospel Oak Primary School launched in January 2019. This is also enforced using Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras. For more information please read the Gospel Oak HSS report. Following the consultation in February 2020 this scheme has now been made permanent.
New End
Following the consultation the decision has been made to proceed with the scheme. Details of the scheme are in the Decision Report. It was launched for a trial period of a year in January 2020. The closure is enforced using ANPR cameras. There are exemptions to the restrictions for those with CA-H residents parking permits, or those with off street parking on New End. To apply for an exemption please click on the 'New End Exemptions applications' at the top of this page.
The feasibility study for the scheme was presented at a public engagement meeting in 2019. The presentation from that meeting can be viewed here
Neighbourhoods of the Future
As part of the above project, we implementing a Healthy School Streets 'zone' in the chosen project area of Fitzjohns/Frognal. We presented the proposals at a public engagement meeting. The presentation from that meeting can be viewed here. The full feasibility Study is here.
Following the consultation in late September/October 2019, the decision has now been made to go ahead with the HSS zone for a trial period of a year. Details of the decision are on the Camden website decisions page
The scheme will be launched in September 2020
Play Streets is a similar scheme involving road closures on residential streets.