Agenda item

Report of the Director of City Services and Commercial

The Cabinet Member considered a report of the Director of City Services and Commercial regarding a School Streets restriction introduced on Knights Templar Way, Lomsey Close and Monks Field Close in February 2023 in response to concerns raised by residents over school related parking and congestion.  This was the first restriction of its type introduced in the City.

A School Streets restriction creates a Pedestrian and Cycle Zone for specified times at the start and end of the school day.  During times of the restriction, cars cannot drive into the zone unless they have a permit or valid exemption.  The initiative sought to improve the road environment by reducing congestion and obstructive parking.  It was easier and safer for children to walk, cycle or scoot to school, whilst reducing air pollution.

School Streets were a new, innovative way to address historic traffic problems that many schools and communities experienced at the start and end of the school day.  School traffic and parking problems had been raised by residents of the three roads for several years, and despite steps being taken to address these, residents still reported experiencing daily challenges associated with school traffic.

The Knights Templar Way Area School Street restriction was introduced using an experimental traffic regulation order (ETRO).  This enabled the Council to trail the initiative for 18 months before deciding whether to make the scheme permanent or revoke it.

Monitoring of the School Street restriction had been undertaken and feedback sought from the local community regarding its effectiveness over its first year of operation.  Concerns over lack of compliance had been raised, with the restriction currently enforceable by colleagues at West Midlands Police, there had been only limited enforcement visits.

In February 2022, Cabinet approved an application to the Secretary of State for the powers to enforce moving traffic offences to help improve road safety and reduce congestion.  The DfT approved the Council’s application and in July 2023, made a Designation Order allowing the Council to adopt the powers and undertake camera-based Moving Traffic enforcement of certain restrictions such as School Streets.

Based on observations and feedback from residents, it was now recommended that camera-based monitoring commenced from September 2024.  This would then transition into camera-based enforcement, subject to a final 6-week monitoring and consultation period, should the evidence continue to support this course of action at that stage.

Councillor M Lapsa, congratulated officers for all their hard work in bringing the long awaited restriction into operation.

Officers explained that the current focus was to successfully implement the restrictions to the Knights Templar School however, funding had been secured to bring forward a further phase of the School Streets programme, to be introduced in September 2024, to Stanton Bridge Primary School, Southfields Primary School, Ravensdale Primary School and Cardinal Wiseman Catholic School, before any other schools could be considered in future funding rounds.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for City Services:

1)  Approves making the City of Coventry (Knights Templar Way Area) (Prohibition of Driving) (Experimental) Order 2023 permanent.

2)  Subject to recommendation 1) above, approves the deployment of an Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera to enable camera-based compliance monitoring of the School Streets restriction in the Knights Templar Way Area.

3)  In recognition of the findings from the Knights Templar School Street Scheme, approves the deployment of ANPR cameras to enable camera-based compliance monitoring of the four School Streets restrictions being introduced as part of the second phase of Coventry's School Street programme as detailed in Appendix C to the report.

4)  Subject to the findings from recommendation 3) above, approves the commencement of a six-week public consultation on the principle of carrying out camera-based enforcement of the sites referenced in recommendations 2) and 3) above, to run alongside the monitoring activities referenced commencing in September 2024.

5)  Approves, that where monitoring shows poor compliance of School Street restrictions, following consultation, Moving Traffic Enforcement should be undertaken at schemes of this type.