PRIMARY schools in the Oswestry area have been selected to take part in an 18-month trial that aims to improve safety for pupils.

Woodside Primary School in Oswestry and Gobowen Primary School will take part in the 'School Streets' trial using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras used to stop motorists parking outside school gates during drop-off and pick-up times.

School Streets are streets outside school gates that are pedestrianised (except for permit holders) during these times.

Under the new ‘moving traffic offences’ legislation Shropshire Council can apply for powers to enforce school streets using ANPR cameras.

Along with the 18-month trial, a six-week consultation will also be carried out with residents living near each of the six schools, as part of the approval process for obtaining ‘moving traffic offences’ powers.

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Kirstie Hurst-Knight, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member responsible for children and education, said: “School Streets have been rolled out across the UK for several years.

"We already have one at Coleham Primary in Shrewsbury – implemented using coronavirus powers – and I now look forward to adding more to the list, using this new legislation.”

The results of the 18-month trial will then be presented to Cabinet with the intention of rolling out the scheme further if successful.

The six schools taking part are:

  • Gobowen Primary School
  • Woodside Primary School, Oswestry
  • Market Drayton Junior School
  • Mereside Primary School, Shrewsbury
  • Whitchurch Junior School
  • Castlefields Primary School, Bridgnorth

The School Streets scheme will be 100 per cent funded DfT grant funding and is estimated to cost approximately £31,000 for schools with one camera and £62,000 for schools with two cameras.

Any surplus arising from enforcement of School Streets will be reinvested back into the School Streets project to enable the continued rollout across the county.

Where traffic is restricted on roads outside schools at pick-up and drop-off times during term-times, school streets make it safer and easier for children to walk, scoot and cycle to school. This reduces children’s exposure to air pollution on part of their journey to school and from cars with idling engines outside the school gates.

For more information about School Streets click here.