About School Streets

What is a School Street?

A School Street scheme allows the roads outside a school to be closed to traffic on school day mornings and afternoons when children are arriving and going home.

During the closures, traffic is not allowed to drive through those streets and parents, or carers won’t be able to stop there to drop-off or pick-up their children.

Residents and some other drivers, including blue badge holders, will still have access to the street but other traffic will have to use alternative routes during these times of day.

What are the benefits?

School Streets schemes mean that the roads outside school are kept clear for children when they arrive at school and leave to go home.

This helps to keep pupils safe from traffic and reduces air pollution outside schools, which also benefits people living nearby.

It enables families to be more active too, by doing more walking, cycling or scooting as part of their journey, which helps towards better health.

Why is my street part of a School Street?

School Streets cover the roads outside of schools where it can get very busy with traffic and parked cars at pick up and drop off times.

We want to make those streets safer, quieter and less polluted for the people that live there and for children going to school.

School Streets schemes are supported by your local school and councillors and have proved popular and effective in other areas across the country.

How does the School Street work?

Signage will be in place informing drivers of the restrictions, there are no physical barriers. Anyone who does need to access a property on the street is asked to drive at walking pace and take extra care.

What exemptions are in place?

The restrictions are in place to deter through traffic on the school run, but there are exemptions for some vehicles such as emergency vehicles, healthcare workers, deliveries, construction work, utility services. blue badge holders, funeral services and public transport, including taxis. Staff working at community venues or businesses in the zone will also be given permits to enter the School Street zone.

These exemptions are to ensure that the daily lives of people living within the School Street zone are not negatively impacted.

How long will it last?

Using Experimental Traffic Regulation Orders (ETROs), the scheme can remain in place for up to 18 months. There is a public consultation on the first six months of the scheme being implemented, which will be used to decide whether to make the changes permanent or if any further changes are needed.

Which schools are involved?

Our first formal School Streets scheme launched at Hotspur Primary School, in Heaton, on Monday 13 June 2022. The second launched at Grange First School on 15 July 2022, the third launched at Chillingham Road Primary School on 16 January 2023 and the forth launched at Ravenswood Primary on 13 February 2023. We are planning more schemes and details will be announced when they are ready. 

How can I get in touch?

You can email our team at schoolstreets@newcastle.gov.uk if you need further information or to request this information in another format or language.

Our phone number is  0191 278 2767  if you want to leave us a message or request one of our team calls you back.

You can write to us at Transport Team, Newcastle City Council, 10th Floor, Civic Centre, Newcastle, NE1 8PR.

What happens next?

After the six month public consultation, we will review the feedback we’ve received, along with data that we’ll collect. During our review, the measures will stay in place. The legal orders we will use mean that from the measures first being put in place, to a final decision being taken on whether or not they remain permanently, has to be no more than 18 months.