The School Streets programme works by using part-time traffic restrictions outside schools to reduce road danger around school gates and help to improve air quality for our youngest residents.
Currently, 45 School Streets serve 50 schools across the borough. By March 2027, the remaining 10 primary schools not located on main roads will also have School Streets.
Deputy leader Cllr Rezina Chowdhury, Cabinet Member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air, said:
“We’re taking bold action to protect children from harmful air pollution and road danger outside their schools.
The school gates should be a place of safety, free from toxic air and road danger. Pupils, parents and teachers have told us loud and clear: oversized SUVs that belch harmful pollutants and have bonnets taller than many primary-age children aren’t welcome outside our schools.
Rolling out School Streets to all eligible schools means we can make Lambeth a borough with the best opportunities for our children to grow up and age well.”
School Streets help reduce road danger, support families in travelling actively to school, and improve air quality around school gates. Where planters are installed outside schools, they also help create habitats for nature.
They use traffic orders to restrict vehicle access to certain streets and are enforced by signs and traffic cameras. Residents, businesses, and Blue Badge holders who need to access these streets at the restricted times can apply for an exemption permit for their vehicle.
A recent report from the Clean Cities Campaign found that Lambeth hosts the largest proportion of School Streets in London, making London the city with the most School Streets in Europe.
On Thursday 12 February, Lambeth hosted the School Streets South conference for the fourth time. The event brought together councils, practitioners, campaigners and industry experts to delve into focus areas such as expanding to secondary schools and how they fit into wider neighbourhood schemes.
Cllr Chowdhury added, “It is an honour to host the School Streets South conference once more at Lambeth Town Hall, and to have the opportunity to share the success of the Lambeth programme.
“We’re so proud of how we’ve successfully made the roads safer around schools, and it’s incredibly rewarding to see school communities flourish thanks to the enjoyable public spaces we’ve helped create.”
