With support from Oldham Council and TfGM, Hey with Zion Primary School and St. Edwards RC Primary School introduced a new School Street at the start of the 2024 academic year.
The official launch took place in October 2024. It is the first School Street in Greater Manchester to use ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras to enable safe travel to and from school, setting a new standard for the region.
The scheme has already shown impressive results in improving road safety and encouraging more families to walk, wheel or scoot to school:
- Fewer cars around the school gates, down 21% at Hey with Zion and 33% at St. Edwards.
- Active travel has doubled, with more families choosing to walk, scoot, or use park and stride to get to school.
- Park and stride has increased by 26%, with many parents parking further away and walking the rest of the way, helping to cut down on traffic near the school.
- Fewer penalty notices as families adjust to the restrictions.
Many parents and residents shared positive feedback about the changes, with many noting a safer environment for their children. One parent said: “It’s now safer to walk to school. We’ve always walked, but now it feels better.” Another added: “It has encouraged me to walk more, which is good.”
A survey of parents found that:
- 65% support keeping the School Street.
- 63% would encourage other schools to try it.
Our data shows a 20% increase in car use on Beckett Street during peak times, with around 50 drivers using the street for school drop-off and pick-up. We kindly ask parents and carers not to use Beckett Street and to walk to school from home if possible. If driving is necessary, please use parking facilities further out and walk the rest of the way, for example at Aldi on Athens Way or at Springhead Football Club.
The Council is now reviewing recommendations to make the School Street permanent, which will include upgrades to Beckett Street to improve safety. This is in response to feedback from parents in the survey, who have raised concerns about the traffic on Beckett Street.
Cllr Arooj Shah, Leader of Oldham Council, said: “We want to bring School Streets to more schools across the borough, helping to make school journeys safer and healthier for families. The positive feedback we’ve received in Lees shows that this campaign is working, and we’re excited to expand it to more communities across Oldham.”
The success of the Lees School Street is really encouraging, and we hope more schools in the borough will follow this example, helping to create safer, healthier and more sustainable travel options for children and their families.
For more information on School Streets and how your school can get involved, visit School Streets | School Streets | Oldham Council.
