Agenda item

Cabinet is invited to consider the attached report, which presents the results of an informal consultation, which sought the public’s view on the possible introduction of 11 new Healthy School Streets under Experimental Traffic Management Orders (ETMOs) for a maximum period of 18 months. 

The consultation was carried out over a one-month period between 1 July 2022 to 30 July 2022.  (Appendix E to Follow)

RESOLVED: To

i.                 Officers from the council’s Highways & Parking Service recommend to the Executive Mayor of Croydon that the following 9 Healthy School Street schemes are taken forward for implementation under ETMOs, with proposed amendments to HSS 10 scheme as detailed in this report:

If the above recommended school streets are agreed to proceed, the following will need to form part of the decision to ensure that the experimental schemes progress smoothly during the 18-month trial period.

i.                 Provide the relevant delegated authority to the Road Space Manager, Sustainable Communities Division to make the required ETMOs which will be valid for a maximum period of 18 months. The first 6 months will serve as the statutory objection period.

ii.                Authorise officers to implement relevant parking, waiting and/or loading restrictions required to support the successful operation of the experimental school street schemes. 

iii.              Authorise officers to install the relevant equipment that allows the collection of traffic and air quality data for the 9 School Street sites.

Cabinet considered a report, whichpresented the results of the informal consultation, which sought the public’s view on the possible introduction of 11 new Healthy School Streets under Experimental Traffic Management Orders (ETMOs) for a maximum period of 18 months.

It was noted that the consultation had been carried out over a one-month period between 1 July 2022 to 30 July 2022 and had been undertaken across multiple channels, including the distribution of 8,345 letters and messaging on the Council’s website and social media channels.  However, the Council only received 531 responses (which represented a 6% response rate).

Although, the Council had consulted on 11 Healthy School Street schemes, it was recommended that only nine be taken forward for implementation, with two schemes not being taken forward, as detailed in the report.

It was reported that the importance of community feedback was recognised and to ensure the Council was listening to the community, the recommendation was that the proposed schemes were taken forward as experiments to allow the community to assess the “real” impacts of the schemes.

In response to questions put by Councillor King (Leader of the Labour Group) on behalf of Councillor Nina Degrads (Shadow Cabinet Member for Streets and Environment) in respect of revenue generated from Penalty Charge Notices and the overall income for the scheme and a request for Ward Members to receive feedback on such schemes within their wards, the Executive Mayor said that the report was centred around policy rather than finance and that it was important for the Council to collate the data and that arrangements could be put in place to provide appropriate ward members with six-monthly updates on feedback received.

Having listened to the contributions and considered the detail in the report, the Executive Mayor, in Cabinet, RESOLVED that:

1.            the following nine Healthy School Street schemes be taken forward for implementation under Experimental Traffic Management Orders, with proposed amendments to Healthy School Streets 10 scheme as detailed in this report:

2.            The Council’s Road Space Manager, Sustainable Communities Division, be authorised to make the required ETMOs, which would be valid for a maximum period of 18 months, with the first six months serving as the statutory objection period.

3.            Officers be authorised to implement relevant parking, waiting and/or loading restrictions required to support the successful operation of the experimental school street schemes.

4.            Officers be authorised to install the relevant equipment that allowed the collection of traffic and air quality data for the nine School Street sites.