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Improvements outside primary schools on main roads

Creating cleaner, greener and healthier spaces outside primary schools on main roads

Our School Streets programme has been hugely successful in improving air quality, making active travel easier, and improving the atmosphere outside the school gate. The programme has seen us temporarily close off streets outside 36 Islington primary schools to motor vehicles at drop-off and pick-up times, to make it easier for children, parents, and guardians to travel to and from school.

There are 10 primary schools in Islington that are located on main roads, where it’s not possible to introduce temporary traffic restrictions. So that these schools can still experience the benefits of School Streets, we’re introducing a range of improvements, such as:

  • widened footpaths, to create a more pleasant space for people walking and using wheelchairs
  • new seating areas
  • planting, to improve air quality, boost biodiversity, and create a more pleasant environment
  • additional changes to make it easier and safer for children, parents, and guardians to cycle.

These improvements will help to reduce air pollution, reduce road danger and promote active travel amongst the school community. They will also create a green barrier and increase the space between the road and school entrance, creating a safer environment for both the school community and residents.

So far, we’ve transformed a number of schools on main roads, including:

Phase 1: Ambler Primary School and Canonbury Primary School

In spring 2022, we created our first School Streets on main roads when we introduced exciting changes outside Ambler Primary School on Blackstock Road and directly in front of Canonbury Primary School on Canonbury Road.  

The improvements have included:

  • widening footpaths outside both schools
  • introducing double yellow lines
  • installing new artwork co-designed by children
  • new planting including trees at Ambler and planters at Canonbury, and green screening at both schools.

The decision to make these changes followed a public consultation between Monday, 13 December 2021 to Sunday, 16 January 2022. We received 493 responses to the consultation (222 from Ambler and 271 from Canonbury). The feedback received from the consultation demonstrates that respondents generally support the aims of the improvements proposed at the two schools. The full consultation report can be read on our website.

Phase 2: Robert Blair, St Joseph's and Montem and Samuel Rhodes Primary Schools

We're working to improve the atmosphere and to create greener streets around the following primary schools: 

  • Robert Blair Primary School on Brewery Road and Blundell Street
  • St Joseph’s Primary School on Highgate Hill and Dartmouth Park Hill
  • Montem and Samuel Rhodes Primary Schools on Hornsey Road

Back in September 2022, we began talking to the schools, local residents and businesses to find out about the current environment outside each school, and to hear suggestions for how we can improve it through our main road School Streets programme.

Using this feedback, we developed designs for each school - including improvements such as widened pavements, planting and greenery, seating, cycle parking and colourful artwork on the road. 

We've since implemented improvements outside each school. Find out more below. 

Robert Blair Primary School

We introduced the following improvements on Brewery Road and Blundell Street in spring 2023 to improve the environment outside the school:

  • greening, to boost biodiversity and create a separation between the road and pavement
  • seating, to provide a space for parents and families to sit, rest and chat
  • new cycle parking stands
  • widened pavements and resurfacing the pavement to make it easier for people to walk, wheel and use buggies

These changes were supported during the public consultation that we held between Monday, 14 November 2022 and Sunday, 11 December 2022. For more detailed information on the improvements we have made and to access the consultation report, visit the Robert Blair consultation webpage

St Joseph’s Primary School

We held a public consultation for St Joseph’s Primary School between Monday, 14 November to Sunday, 18 December 2022. The majority of respondents supported the proposed changes to improve the environment outside St Joseph's Primary School on Dartmouth Park Hill and Highgate Hill. 

We made the following improvements on Dartmouth Park Hill in spring 2023:

  • installing new bollards to prevent people from parking illegally
  • widened and resurfaced the pavement to make it easier for people to walk, wheel and use buggies
  • created a new continuous footway across the school vehicle entrance to give people walking priority over vehicles
  • improved the zebra crossing to create a safer space for people crossing the road.

We made the following improvements on Highgate Hill in summer 2023:

  • greening, to boost biodiversity and create a separation between the road and pavement
  • seating, to provide a space for parents and local people people to sit, rest and chat
  • new cycle parking stands
  • colourful artwork on the road outside the school, to encourage vehicles to slow down
  • creating new continuous footway across the junction of Waterlow Road and Highgate Hill to give people walking priority over vehicles.

For more detailed information on the improvements we have made and to access the consultation report, visit the St Joseph's consultation webpage.

Montem and Samuel Rhodes Primary Schools

We held a public consultation for Montem and Samuel Rhodes Primary Schools between Monday, 23 January to Sunday, 19 February 2023. The majority of respondents supported the proposed changes to improve the environment outside the schools on Hornsey Road.

We made the following improvements on Hornsey Road in summer/autumn 2023:

  • widening the pavement outside the school
  • raising the existing signalised pedestrian crossing and school bus waiting area to footpath level
  • introducing new greening and seating
  • new cycle parking stands
  • colourful artwork on the road outside the school, to encourage vehicles to slow down
  • creating new continuous footways across vehicle entrances near the school to give people walking priority over vehicles 
  • creating the first section of a new northbound cycleway from the junction of Seven Sisters Road to the pedestrian crossing outside the school to make it easier and safer to cycle in this area

For more detailed information on the improvements we have made and to access the consultation report, visit the Montem and Samuel Rhodes consultation webpage

 

Phase 3: Christ the King Primary School

We're working to improve the atmosphere and to create a greener environment around Christ the King Primary School on Tollington Park. 

We want to make sure that the changes we make reflect the needs of the local community - including school children, parents, carers, teachers, residents, and businesses. 

Engagement timeline

Date Phase  Description 
Winter 2023/24 1 - Early engagement  Listen to local people and the school communities views on how we can improve the environment outside the school
Spring 2024 2 - Public consultation A formal public consultation on draft designs for the area
Summer 2024 3 - Implementation  Works will begin to implement improvements on Tollington Park

In December 2023, we began talking to the school, local residents and businesses to find out about the current environment outside Christ the King Primary School, and to hear suggestions for how we can improve it through our main road School Streets programme. 

Using this feedback, we developed a design including improvements such as widened pavements, raising the existing signalised crossing, planting and greener, seating, cycle parking and colourful artwork on the road.

We held a public consultation between Monday, 19 February and Sunday 17, March 2024. The majority of respondents supported the proposed changes to improve the environment outside Christ the King Primary School on Tollington Park. 

We're proposing to implement the improvements on a permanent basis from July 2024. We will be doing this under a Traffic Management Order (TMO), which is subject to a statutory consultation.

The objection period for the TMO statutory consultation closes on Friday, 7 June. Please note that any formal objection that is submitted may become a public document and could be published. 

Click the button below to be taken to our dedicated consultation webpage and find out more detailed information on the planned improvements.

Find out more

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