Healthy School Streets Programme, Phase Two
Nine more schools join Newham’s Healthy School Streets programme
Newham’s Healthy School Streets (HSS) programme was joined by an additional nine schools in 2021, bringing the total number involved to 14.
The programme aims to improve air quality and safety in the areas around participating schools.
A spokesperson for the Healthy School Streets team said: “Newham has one of the highest percentages of under-18s in receipt of asthma medication in the UK and this is directly related to the air quality in the borough.
“Recent evidence has also shown that the potential health impacts of air pollutants on young children extend beyond pulmonary and respiratory impacts and into cognitive development and susceptibility to depressive illnesses.”
The spokesperson added: “The large number of private vehicles used for school trips can also lead to dangerous and sometimes aggressive road behaviour and congestion where children congregate outside school.
“We work with schools and key school stakeholders to design a restriction zone that suits the individual school while minimising impact in other areas of the road network.”
Programme leader Connor Brown, Engineer for Newham’s Highways and Sustainable Transport Service, said: “Phase Two of the programme, which launched this year, is currently under review, including air quality and traffic analysis as well as a review of feedback from the public.”
“Whether the changes become permanent or not, depends on the outcome of this evaluation. So far, the air quality results look very promising and we have received positive feedback from school head teachers.”
He added: “We are now working on Phase Three of the programme and hope to add another ten schools to the programme.”
Anthony Wilson, Headteacher at Lister Community School, which joined the programme in June 2021, said on Twitter: “What a huge improvement in safety for our students now that #healthyschoolstreets is in place – no more crowding, beeping, shouting & cars diverting onto pavements. And less pollution too!”
In a Newham Recorder article published in May this year, Dr Julian Grenier, Headteacher of Sheringham Nursery, said: "This morning it was great to see so many on bikes and trikes as well as walking. The street feels calmer and safer now which makes for a more positive start to the day.”
Read the Newham recorder article 'Wider roll out of scheme banning some drivers from school roads'