School Streets are one of our 4 main priorities for 24/25 so we thought it would be useful to detail the history of School Streets in Newcastle.
Feb 2021
A question posed by Liberal Democrat councillor Gareth Kane in February 2021 queried why the council were unable to implement schemes that had been successfully introduced elsewhere in the country. The council responded that without the power to enforce moving traffic violations they were looking at alternative methods of enforcing the schemes.
Mar 2021
This was followed in March 2021 by the announcement by Newcastle City council that it would be conducting a trial of school streets across Newcastle with up to 11 schools taking part. Those first schools were named as:
- Hotspur Primary School, Chillingham Road Primary School and Ravenswood Primary School in Heaton;
- Sacred Heart Primary School and Dame Allan’s in Fenham;
- Westgate Hill Primary Academy School in Arthur’s Hill;
- Broadwood Junior School in Denton Burn;
- Farne Primary School in Newbiggin Hall;
- Lemington Riverside Primary School in Lemington;
- Grange First School in Gosforth;
- Kingston Park Primary School in Kingston Park.
May 2021
Councillor Ged Bell becomes Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Transport with responsibility for the School Streets pilot.
Sep 2021
However, plans were again delayed and the first trial took place at Chillingham Road Primary School on 22nd September 2021 for World Car Free Day.
Oct 2021
In October the same year the council further announced that following the successful trial at Chillingham Road Primary School, 3 of the original 11 interested schools would take part in a one day trial in October:
- Grange First School: 21 Oct 21 Norham Road was closed between 8am – 4pm
- Westgate Hill Primary Academy: 21 Oct 21 Tamworth Road & Bishop’s Avenue
- Lemington Riverside Primary School: 22 Oct 21 Sugley Street close 8am – 4pm
Dec 2021
Finally in December 2021 Sustrans came on board with the council to assist with the delivery of the School Streets initiative.
May 2022
Councillor Jane Byrne becomes cabinet member with a portfolio for a Connected City including transport and the School Streets pilot.
Jun 2022
Hotspur Primary School became the first school to launch a school street on Monday 13th June 2022. The roads affected were:
- Mowbray Street,
- Hotspur Street,
- Newington Road,
- Back lanes behind Stratford Road
- Back Lanes between Hotspur Street and Warwick Street
- Back Lanes between Hotspur Street and Mowbray Street
Jul 2022
Grange First School becomes the second school to launch a school street on 15th July 2022, one week before the end of term with the closure of Norham Road.
Oct 2022
No official further announcement on the development of the School Streets scheme in Newcastle has been made to date. However, the report “Reframing Transport in Newcastle” submitted to Cabinet on 17th Oct 2022 stated:
“3.4 The roll out of School Streets will also become more widespread… While some further School Streets will be implemented before Christmas, the ambition is for the next main wave of these schools to come forward as we approach Spring next year. This would ensure favourable weather complements the early stages and that more changes in residential neighbourhoods can be implemented alongside such a programme.”
Jan 2023
Chillingham Primary School launches a School Street. The roads affected include Ninth Avenue and Tenth Avenue and the back lanes behind them.
Feb 2023
Ravenswood Primary School. The roads affected include Ravenswood Road, Farnley Road and Stanmore Road and their back lanes behind them.
This is the last School Street to be implemented in Newcastle.
Oct 2023
Councillor Marion Williams becomes the Cabinet Member with the portfolio for a Connected, Clean City and responsibility for School Streets.
Nov 2023
The Hotspur School Street scheme is made permanent.
Jan 2024
The Grange First School Street scheme is made permanent.
Mar 2024
Question to full council 6th March 2024 by Sally Watson on behalf of Kidical Mass (starts about 10 minutes in):
• When the School Streets programme will be resumed and which schools will be included in this.
Reply from Councillor Marion Williams,
We are still continuing with the School Streets programme. We have made two School Streets, at Hotspur and at Grange First School, permanent, and are evaluating the other schemes at Ravenswood and Chillingham Primary School. We, along with Sustrans, continue to engage with schools on how we can help pupils travelling to their school enjoy safer and healthier journeys, with proposals currently being considered for two further school streets. We are also looking how to improve the environment pupils experience when using active travel to get to their school and if this can be improved through better pedestrian crossing facilities.
April 2024
Camera enforcement of school Keep Clear zig zag lines is introduced outside 7 schools:
- Archbishop Runcie C of E First School, Gosforth
- Our Lady and St Anne’s Catholic Primary School, Elswick
- Benfield School, Walkergate
- Knop Law Primary School, Chapel House
- Westerhope Primary School, Westerhope
- Westgate Hill Primary School, Arthur’s Hill
- Jesmond Park Academy, High Heaton.
May 2024
Councillor Irim Ali with the Cabinet Portfolio for a Resilient City takes over responsibility for the School Streets pilot.
Jun 2024
The Chillingham Road Primary School Scheme is made permanent.
Jul 2024
The scheme for Ravenswood Primary School is made permanent.
Aug 2024
The School Streets “pilot” is cancelled.
“To date, ‘school streets’ has been an internal NCC led programme with elements of the engagement outsourced to Sustrans. The four pilot schemes we have implemented relied on Sustrans’ engagement capacity to help us understand how this style of ‘school streets’ could work. We are now in the process of concluding that pilot process over the next few months, however, we intend to carry on this work within NCC focussing on the ‘journey to school’. This will be centre to our neighbourhood based work, delivering a variety of changes outside schools that improve road safety.”