Car Free School Streets are springing-up around Birmingham
Birmingham: Colmore Junior and Infant School is one in the next round of Birmingham schools that will benefit from a Car Free School Street, this Easter.
Car-Free School Streets enable children to commute sustainably to and from school because they provide greater protection from road accidents and pollution.
Prior to making a Car Free School Street permanent, The Active Wellbeing Society holds a day’s active travel closure on each street, in preparation.
An active street day occured today (11 February 2022) at Colmore Street, outside the Colmore Junior and Infant School in King’s Heath.
A section of Colmore Street was reclaimed from 1 to 4:15pm, to help engage parents, residents and the school, ahead of its long-term closure.
Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment, Councillor Waseem Zaffar said:
The continued expansion of car-free school streets, across Birmingham is particularly beneficial to children. I wholeheartedly support this development because it provides both immediate physical protection from motorised vehicles while also contributing to reducing pollution. I am delighted to see Car Free School Streets gaining momentum throughout the city.
Five more Car Free School Streets are preparing to join the 12 already active in Birmingham, at the following establishments:
- Brownmead Academy – Shard End
- Colmore Junior and Infant School – Perry Common
- Court Farm Primary School – Perry Common
- St Dunstan’s Catholic School – Brandwood and Kings Heath
- Nansen Primary School – Allum Rock
Feedback from residents about established Car Free School Streets has been extremely positive: more than 80% said they wanted the scheme to continue on their road.
Permits will be issued to those residents whose access is effected by the road closure. Blue badge holders, emergency services and health visitors will be exempt.
A fixed penalty notice, with a £50.00 charge, may be issued by a police officer to anyone else who drives in a Car Free School Street, during the restricted times.
Car Free School Streets is a part of the Modeshift STARS scheme which provides a range of initiatives to support safer, greener and healthier educational and workplace travel.
Pictured from left to right: Colmore School pupils: Mateusz (10), James (11), Muhammad (11), Luke Rainbird ( Active Well-being), PC Woodruff WM Police, Cllr Waseem Zaffar, Jon Gale, Head of Colmore School, Samantha Beckett (Active well-being), Peter Edwards ( Birmingham City Council), and Colmore School pupils: Midhat (10) and Clementine (10).
