School roads in Hampshire set for closure pilot scheme

Roads outside three schools in Hampshire are set to be closed at drop-off and pick-up times as part of a pilot scheme when the new term begins.

The schools in Fareham, Holbury and Gosport will have a steward closing the roads in a bid to encourage children to walk or cycle to school

Hampshire County Council said the aim was to reduce traffic and improve air quality near schools.

A local councillor has questioned the choice of schools involved.

Harrison Primary School in Fareham, Cadland Primary School in Holbury and Alverstoke Infant School in Gosport will be taking part in the trial, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Roads outside the schools will be closed from 08:15-09:00 and 14.30-15.30 each day, exemptions allowed for for blue badge holders, emergency services, deliveries, businesses and carers.

Gosport councillor for Alverstoke, Kevin Casey, said the school there was unsuited to being in the trial as it was situated in a dead-end street.

"The adjacent roads are where the problems are because that's where the parents park, and will presumably continue to," he said.

Hampshire County Council's executive member for highways Russell Oppenheimer said: 'The benefits of doing this could be fantastic, both in terms of improving the physical and mental wellbeing of young people and parents, but also reducing traffic which, in turn, improves air quality and, more widely, will help contribute to the county's goal of becoming carbon neutral."

He encouraged parents at the schools to enable their children to walk or cycle to school instead of travelling by car and also asked other road users in the areas to allow more time for their journeys.

Follow BBC South on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].