Knowsley council is continuing to adopt a ‘wait and see’ approach to active travel around schools.
Earlier this year, the council said there was “little evidence” schools streets work, and would take the lessons learnt from other local authorities as they trial the measures outside some of their schools.
Schools streets are where traffic is blocked off twice a day as children come in and out to lessons. The aim is to improve road safety around schools, cut emissions in the immediate area by restricting car use and encourage active travel.
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At a presentation at the council’s Climate Emergency scrutiny committee last night, December 1, officers reiterated the borough’s reluctance to engage with schools streets.
Knowsley Council’s environment manager Michele Grey told the committee the council is “awaiting clear best practice and direction” from other local authorities.
Ms Grey said the ‘wait and see’ strategy would be “useful to inform the council of potential future active travel schemes” although there had been clear “implications” in other local authorities.
The presentation looked at a range of measures, including low traffic neighbourhoods, or ‘liveable streets’ and ‘healthy streets’ where physical barriers are not used but active travel is promoted.
All of the options were ultimately made “challenging” by the costs involved, the committee heard – with enforcement being seen as one of the most “critical” challenges.
With just six traffic enforcement officers in the borough, schools are only visited once a month to deal with parking issues. Any additional remit would require “significant investment” the committee heard.
CllrBell said it was “sad” to hear about the low number of enforcement officers and asked if there were any plans to increase this.
Highways group manager Richard Thorpe said the contract was coming up for renewal and this could be looked at.
Cllr Cath Goulding asked whether liveable street measures, such as dropped kerbs and wider pavements were being taken into consideration when planning permission was given for developments.
Ms Grey said the council was following planning policy and it was “always a challenge” and pointed to some “avenue based” design at Halsnead garden village.
Cllr Goulding said: “I just think sometimes we might be missing an opportunity with these major housing developments going on.”
Other issues raised were around school lollipop patrols, air quality monitoring and how to encourage behaviour change in parents dropping children by car.
Committee chair, Cllr Colin Dever, asked whether the council was planning on securing any additional active travel funding for schools, and Mr Thorpe said the council had previously been successful at obtaining funding with a new phase of bidding “imminent.”
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