Road safety measures outside Leicester schools, including temporary closures and one-way systems, are expected to become permanent.

Leicester City Council has tried the changes at eight schools in the city since the first lockdown last year and the council now wants them to stay in place.

The changes were aimed at making walking safer during the first months of the pandemic.

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Actions taken included widening sidewalks and reducing traffic outside schools during the start and end of the school day.

City council said the improvements had created “quieter and safer streets” by reducing traffic jams and should stay.

Charlotte Crosse, Principal of St Thomas More School, which is expected to make the road closure to the exterior permanent, said: “We have really welcomed the road closure to St Thomas More.

“It has made our families feel a lot safer when they bring their children to and from school. It has also helped to increase the number of children who walk, cycle and scooter to school.

“I hope this has had a big impact on reducing air pollution around the school every day.”

Making the changes permanent is still subject to further consultation.

If this continues, the streets outside three schools in the city would be completely closed to all vehicles during morning and afternoon school hours. The three schools are:

• Bridge Junior School in NorthEvington
• Sandfield Close Primary in Rushey Mead
• St Thomas More School in Knighton

Two-way streets will become temporary one-way streets in five other schools. They are:

• Catherine Junior School in Belgrave
• Parks Elementary School at New Parks
• Shenton Elementary School in North Evington
• Spinney Hill Elementary School in North Evington
• St Joseph Primary School in Scraptoft

The first consultations with schools, neighborhood councilors, emergency services and local bus companies have already taken place.

Leicester City Deputy Mayor for Transport and Environment Adam Clarke said: “The original temporary measures were introduced in the summer of 2020, as part of government regulations allowing councils to take steps to enable social distancing while people walked, biked or stood in line at school gates.

“We have been monitoring the effects on pedestrian and traffic movement since that time, and the projects have been generally well received by schools and parents.

“There has been a positive effect in terms of reducing traffic movements and reducing congestion in these residential areas close to schools, which in turn improves safety and air quality.

“So we want to make these improvements permanent, along with the formalization of the School Keep Clear markings, to ensure their applicability, and also to adjust a number of single and double yellow lines if necessary to improve safety and resolve issues. problems. like motorists who persist in parking on sidewalks.

In total, the work to make the measures permanent would cost around £ 90,000, funded through the City Council’s transport improvement capital budget program.

Next steps would include a public consultation on the proposals and the development of the formal traffic control orders needed to put the measures in place permanently. If approved, the measures could be in place by mid 2022.

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