Oldham is getting its newest ‘school street’ after the borough’s first was launched at St Anne’s Primary School, Royton, earlier this year.
The traffic scheme works by closing off the road to some motorists during school drop-off and pick-up times, except those with exemptions, such as blue badge holders or residents with permits.
Most parents and residents praised the changes but there was a little confusion as to how it worked from a few; there was also a minor hiccup when a bollard used to enforce the scheme was damaged by a driver.
Now, from Monday, September 25, Oldham’s newest school street will start to operate at Christ Church C of E Primary School, on Crawley Way, Chadderton.
In a school street, only those with a permit, including residents and businesses, will be able to drive inside during school pick-up and drop-off times.
At Christ Church, this means drivers will not be able to pull into Crawley Way, the small road leading up to the school entrance, between 8.15am to 9am and 2.45pm to 3.15pm, on weekdays during term time. The restriction will be enforced using a barrier.
Cllr Arooj Shah, leader of Oldham Council, said: “It’s good to see the borough’s second School Streets scheme is going live.
“We launched the first one back in June and I’ve seen for myself how successful it is.
“Any scheme that cuts problem parking and encourages parents to leave their cars at home should be welcomed, doing that whilst also reducing pollution and congestion is a win-win.
“We’re determined to make travel to and from school safer and healthier.”
@theoldhamtimes ♬ original sound - The Oldham Times
Sign up to our newsletters to get the latest stories sent straight to your inbox.
Currently, Oldham Council says 52 per cent of pupils at Christ Church walk to school.
It is hoped that the figure will increase once the scheme gets started, with more school streets set to pop up at primary schools over the coming months.
Eight were originally meant to launch in February but the council leader said this was delayed when they found that "a lot more work was required than we originally anticipated".
The restriction won’t apply to emergency vehicles, blue badge holders or essential deliveries.
Those dropping off or picking up pupils will not be able to drive into the closed streets, but can still park further away from school, if they need to, and walk the last part of the journey.
Follow The Oldham Times on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, YouTube, and Threads.
Anyone can continue to walk or cycle on the street.
An Experimental Traffic Regulation Order is in place for the new measures and there will be opportunities over the coming months for residents, businesses, parents and the schools to give their feedback on the schemes and how they are working.
Before the Christ Church scheme goes live the council is inviting parents, nearby residents and businesses to a drop-in event so they can find out more information. An online session has also been arranged for those who cannot attend in person.
Anyone interested in attending has been asked to email active.travel@oldham.gov.uk for more information and the event link.
Oldham Council says letters have also been sent to properties on the affected roads.
The council secured funding of almost £85,000 from Transport for Greater Manchester and the Department for Transport to pay for the introduction of the schemes.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel