‘School Streets’ scrapped by Council

Cllr Thomas Janke has expressed dismay that Labour-controlled Telford & Wrekin Council has scrapped  ‘School Streets’ before even trialling the scheme. It was hoped that the scheme, originally proposed to the Council by Cllr Janke in 2019, could help to provide safer, healthier travel for children at schools such as Newport Juniors and Newport Infants, as well as reducing traffic misery for residents on adjacent roads.

“One parent told me of a child knocked down during morning chaos on Avenue Road, whilst residents complain of pavement parking and blocked drives,” Cllr Janke told Focus.

“There was real potential to provide safer journeys for children on foot and by bike, and to make residents’ lives easier. This scheme has worked well elsewhere, I am hugely disappointed that Telford & Wrekin Council will not even try this out in a pilot.”
Objections to the scheme included budget pressures for schools and “traffic being displaced to other roads”. 

Cllr Sarah Syrda has emphasised that the scheme would not have been imposed on schools – headteachers would have needed to be on board, and councils elsewhere have had few problems with displacement.

“This cancellation by Telford & Wrekin Council is really short-sighted,” Cllr Syrda said.