School Street scheme - Print version

School Street schemes

A School Street is an active travel and traffic management scheme that improves road safety and air quality outside schools.

The aim is to encourage walking, wheeling, cycling, and scooting to schools by closing specific roads to create safer and healthier car free environments outside schools at the start and end of the school day at key times.

This helps reduce congestion and air pollution in the area by minimising the volume of vehicles entering the road or surrounding roads, making it easier and safer to walk or cycle to school. These measures can also help to address traffic and parking pressures and problems people living close to a school can experience due to school gate parking.

The School Streets scheme also aims to:

• Reduce traffic and parking pressures outside schools
• Discourage car journeys to school and encourage active travel – walking and cycling
• provide opportunities to improve physical and mental health
• provide opportunities for parents and children to travel to school together with their friends and socialise on the school run, boosting wellbeing, social skills, and sense of community. 
• support children so they arrive at school, energised and ready to learn  
• teach children road safety and travel independence, increasing their travel confidence especially as they transition into secondary schools
• their travel confidence especially as they transition into secondary schools

The current schools are:

• Templars Primary
• Cardinal Wiseman
• Southfields Primary
• Stanton Bridge Primary
• Ravensdale Primary

The times will vary at different schools due to different start and finish times. The times for the individual scheme will be included on the signs at the entrance to each zone and will be widely publicised locally. The scheme will only operate during term time (Monday to Friday) unless otherwise stated.

There will be gateway signs at the entrance and exit of each zone detailing the times that the restriction is in force, and violation of these restrictions will be an offense. The schemes are installed, subject to the support of residents, using an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO), which can stay in place for a maximum of 18 months. During this time, we will monitor and assess the impact of these changes and any objections to decide whether the scheme should be permanent. If the scheme is successful and supported by local people, it could become a permanent scheme.

Currently, we try to reduce the impact of inappropriate parking by enforcing waiting restrictions and ‘School-Keep-Clear’ markings. Feedback from residents and communities has highlighted that these traditional measures are not always effective and we are looking at new ways of addressing the issues.

Issues associated with school traffic are not unique to Coventry, and over the last few years, School Streets have been rolled out at various locations across the country as an innovative way to address issues associated with school traffic and parking.

For those who need to rely on the car and must drive to the school, you can continue to do so, but will need to park slightly further away and walk the last part of the journey.

We ask everyone to park responsibly, safely and to be considerate to residents when parking in the surrounding streets. Please ensure you are not parked on the pavement, blocking, or parked on or over a driveway.

Those holding valid Blue Badges needing to access a property within the restricted area will be able to apply for an exemption permit. Please note that existing parking restrictions still apply and you should avoid parking on these restrictions.

School Street locations

Current School Street locations

• Templars Primary School - View a map of the zone [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/41896/templars-primary-school-streets]

Between 8.30am to 9.30am and 2.45pm to 3.45pm, Monday to Friday, residents will need a permit to drive on Knights Templar Way. Lomsey Close and Monks Field Close

This was Coventry’s first School Street and it was introduced in February 2023 as an experimental traffic regulation order.

On the 17 June, after careful consideration, a decision was taken to make this scheme permanent and from the start of the new school year in September 2024 transition to camera-based enforcement, to aid compliance of the restriction. Read the full report [http://edemocracy.coventry.gov.uk/documents/s60894/Knights%20Templar%20School%20Streets%20Cabinet%20Report.pdf].

School Street locations from 4 September 2024

• Cardinal Wiseman School -View a map of the zone and sign locations [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/41895/cardinal-wiseman-school-streets]

Between 8.30am to 9.30am and 2.45pm to 3.45pm, Monday to Friday, residents will need a permit to drive on Potters Green Road from the junction at Frankwell Drive to Woodway Lane.

• Ravensdale Primary School - View a map of the zone and sign locations [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/41886/ravensdale-school-street]

Between 8.15am to 9.15am and 3.00pm to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday, residents will need a permit to drive on Ravensdale Road.

• Stanton Bridge Primary School - View a map of the zone and sign locations [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/41888/stanton-bridge-school-streets]

Between 8.00am to 9.00am and 3.00pm to 4.00pm, Monday to Friday, residents will need a permit to drive on Oliver Street from the junction with Freeman Street.

• Southfields Primary School - View a map of the zone and sign locations [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/file/41887/southfield-primary-school-street]

Between 8.15am to 9.15am and 3.15pm to 3.45pm, Monday to Friday, residents will need a permit to drive on East Street and South Street to the junction with Read Street.

These locations were launched from the start of the new school year in September 2024. These will be introduced as an experimental traffic regulation order initially and will benefit both from the learning that has taken place following the introduction of the Knights Templar School Streets Scheme as well as changes in legislation which has improved how the restrictions that underpin a School Street operates and are managed outside of London.

Future School Street locations

If you think that your school would benefit from being part of a future phase (2025/26) of our School Streets scheme please ask the school to contact us at trafficmanagement@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:trafficmanagement@coventry.gov.uk] to register their interest.  

School Street restrictions

The restrictions operate Monday to Friday year-round and mean that most vehicles, including those driven by parents and carers at the schools where the restrictions are enforced will not be able to drive into the roads covered by the restrictions to drop off or pick up children during the periods that the restriction is in force. Parents who drive are asked to park nearby and walk the last part of their journey.

There are various exemptions to the restriction that permit certain traffic to use the roads during the period that the restriction is in force. These are intended to minimise the impact of the restriction on residents living within the zones and to support those with specific needs.

Vehicles already parked in the roads before the times of operation, regardless of whether they have a permit or not, are able to exit the street during the periods that the restriction is in force.

If you live on the streets affected, you will need a permit to drive on the roads and at the times listed. Further information on permits [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/roads-highways-pavements/school-streets/5].

School Streets are not restricted by physical barriers but rely on signage and monitoring cameras. Prominent gateway signage will be in place at the entrance and exit of the School Street areas, displaying the times the restriction is in force.

From September 2024 we will be introducing and using ANPR cameras to aid monitoring and compliance of the restrictions from the start of the new school year. A six-week consultation will take place throughout September into October on this intention during which time compliance of the restriction will be monitored.

At each entrance to a School Street road signs will be in place showing it is a Pedestrian and Cycle zone and the times it operates.

Every day, including school holidays, between the times shown below, no vehicles will be able to drive in or out of the School Streets zone unless they have a valid permit or exemption.

School Street enforcement

For the Council to be able to enforce the School Streets schemes effectively the Council intends to use its Moving Traffic Enforcement powers.

The restrictions we have installed are shown on street by traffic signs (at the entry points to the School Streets). Drivers that ignore the restrictions are reducing the effectiveness of the scheme and the safety of the users of the area, especially the children going to and from school. It is an offence to enter a School Street without a valid school street permit or exemption.

In the past only the Police had the powers to enforce these types of ‘moving’ restrictions. However, it is difficult for the Police to manage this alongside all their other priorities. As a result in 2023 the Council applied for and was granted authority to undertake enforcement of Moving Traffic Contraventions for the first time alongside the Police.

The Police can issue a £50 fixed penalty notice (FPN) fine to anyone caught driving in the zone when the restriction is in place.

From the start of the new school year in September 2024, we will be introducing and using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras to aid monitoring and compliance of all our School Street locations. If evidence from these cameras show a consistent level of non-compliance with the restriction, cameras may be used for enforcement purposes (after a minimum of six weeks monitoring and consultation has taken place).

If this option is taken, the fine for this offence would be £70, reduced to £35 if paid within 21 days. If the fine is ignored the penalty would increase. There would be a right of appeal if issued and you believed the PCN should not have been issued.

The transition to an enforcement camera system must be demand and evidence-led and requires the introduction and use of a virtual electronic permit system. It does however offer the potential to significantly aid the effectiveness of School Streets schemes and may help to meet the objectives of reducing traffic in and around the school gates and encouraging active forms of travel to school.

The benefits of the Council also having the power to enforce moving traffic restrictions include:

• Aiding operation of schemes
• improving pedestrian and cyclist safety
• reducing congestion
• improving journey times for public transport
• improving safety around schools

How and where would we use our Moving Traffic Enforcement Powers? 

Enforcement would be undertaken using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) camera technology. Fines would be sent by post to drivers who continue to ignore restrictions i.e. drive into the area during the times that the restriction is in force.  

We will use our Moving Traffic Enforcement powers at all five Coventry School Street locations.  These are:

• Cardinal Wiseman Secondary School – On Potters Green Road from the junction at Frankwell Drive to Woodway Lane
• Ravensdale Primary School – On Ravensdale Road
• Stanton Bridge Primary School – On Oliver Street from the junction with Freeman Street to its cul de sac end.
• Southfields Primary School – On East Street (between Napier Street & Paynes Lane) and South Street (between East Street and Read Street)
• Templars Primary School – On Knights Templar Way, Monk’s Field Close, Lomsey Close

If you would like to make a comment about using our Moving Traffic Enforcement powers at these locations, or let us know of your support, please email us at schoolstreets@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:schoolstreets@coventry.gov.uk].

School Street permits

Permits are unique for each scheme and the road signs show which permit is required to be allowed into the School Street scheme when it is in operation.

Residents living on a School Street will be able to apply for a permit, which will allow them to drive to and from their home during the restriction times. Permits will also be available to visitors and businesses working on or at a property within a school street.

From 2 September 2024 the Council will operate a paperless permit system, which will mean it will no longer be necessary for residents living within a school street area to display a permit. Your vehicle number plate will be used virtually as the permit.

If you have already applied for a permit, there is no need to apply again, we will move you over to a paperless permit automatically.

If you have changed your car or got a new vehicle, you will need to register this, even if you have applied previously.

You can update your vehicle details or register for visitor permits at any time via the permit portal [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory/88/residents-permit-schemes], or by calling 024 7683 3400 during Monday to Friday (between 10am – 4pm).

Schools will also be able to apply for paperless permits which they can allocate to staff and visitors who park on-site and need to access the school during the restriction periods.

Permit eligibility

The following, on submission of the required evidence, will be granted a School Streets Permit which will give a legal right to enter during the restricted times:

• all residents within the School Street scheme
• all businesses within the School Street scheme
• Blue Badge holders visiting a property or school within the School Street
• all school staff (coordinated via the Headteacher)
• Council operated home to school transport, including minibuses (coordinated with Transport Service)

If the above criteria does not apply to you, you may still be able apply for a short duration School Streets Permit if you are:

• Private Hire Taxis serving a property within the School Street
• healthcare workers including but not limited to Doctors, Nurses, Social Workers, midwives, personal carers, and support workers
• delivery vehicles
• carrying out emergency structural repairs
• building and utility related works which cannot avoid the restricted times
• visitors to a residential property or business who visit during the restricted time and can’t park elsewhere

Exemption Permits are issued at the discretion of Coventry City Council Parking Services Team.

Applications should be made in advance and authorisation confirmed before accessing the School Street scheme area during the restricted times via the permit portal [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory/88/residents-permit-schemes/category/2301].

Visitors to School Streets

Visitors are generally asked to arrive outside the time the restriction is operating or to park outside the zone (and move once the restriction ends).

We ask that anyone living or working within a School Street to tell their visitors about the restrictions when visits are being planned. Visitors can then park on surrounding roads outside the School Street, or they can apply for exemption in advance or be provided with a visitor permit.

We know this is not always possible and so from September 2024 we intend to introduce an option to apply for a retrospective visitor permit up to 48 hours after a visit via the permit portal [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/parking-travel-streets/school-street-permit-applications].

Amending or updating a permit

Permits are linked to vehicle registration numbers. Therefore, if you change your car you will need to update your permit.

All amendment requests should be submitted online via the permit portal [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory/88/residents-permit-schemes/category/2301].

School Street vehicle exemptions

People walking, scooting, using wheelchairs, mobility scooters and cycles (including adapted cycles) are not restricted and can continue to use the road. All other motor vehicles are restricted during the operating times except:

The following which will be automatically exempt (allowed) and will not require to apply for a permit:

• emergency vehicles
• Council bin crews
• road maintenance vehicles
• Royal Mail postal vehicles
• utility company vehicles
• Taxis (Hackney carriages only)
• local bus services
• school buses and coaches

In addition to vehicles automatically exempted from the restriction resident and visitor exemption permits can be applied for which when granted, permit the holder to drive a motor vehicle into the restriction when in force.

School Streets emergency access

For unforeseen events and emergencies, from September 2024 a retrospective application [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/directory/88/residents-permit-schemes/category/2301] can be made via the permit portal up to 48 hours after you have entered a School Street during the restriction times.

The following information will be required for a retrospective permit to be issued:

• School Street you entered
• Date and time you entered
• Vehicle Registration Number that entered
• Reason for entering without exemption
• Proof of eligibility (i.e., service/delivery/job schedule confirming that you were visiting/servicing a property within a School Street restriction)

This may apply to taxi drivers, delivery drivers, emergency call outs, visitors etc. Notifications received by us later than the required 48 hours of entering the School Street scheme area will need to follow the statutory appeals process, if a Penalty Charge Notice is issued.

Appeal a Penalty Charge Notices (PCN) [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/parking-enforcement/parking-bus-lane-bus-gate-enforcement/5].

School Street consultation and monitoring

School Streets are normally introduced on a trial basis using an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order, during the trial the scheme is monitored, and any issues reviewed before a decision is taken whether to make a scheme permanent. Residents, local businesses, and the school are consulted before a scheme is introduced and once a scheme goes live, further feedback is used to help inform the final decision as to whether to make the scheme permanent.

The latest round of scheme goes live on the 4 September 2024 at which time a statutory 6 month consultation period starts. During this period, we collect any feedback from residents, parents, school staff and the wider community which is used to decide if any amendments are required. Between 4 September 2024 and 4 March 2025 any representations including objections to the scheme should be sent to Mr R Parkes, Place Team, Legal Services, Coventry City Council, PO Box 7097, Coventry, CV6 9SL, or via email to rob.parkes@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:rob.parkes@coventry.gov.uk] by no later than 3 March 2025. Please note that these must be made in writing and must state the grounds on which they are made.

Scheme monitoring

We will undertake a range of measures to monitor and assess each School Street Scheme, which includes:

• monitoring cameras to review the level of compliance with the restriction
• collecting traffic and pedestrian data to understand how the scheme is impacting travel behaviour and choices
• consultation feedback from residents, parents, and other stakeholders
• site observations
• school survey data in partnership with Living Streets.

A successful scheme should mean that the road is visibly quieter, safer, and cleaner during the times the School Street is in place. The scheme monitoring during the trial will help to identify if this has been achieved.