The case for School Streets - a briefing for councils
July 2025
Mums for Lungs is a network of people across the UK campaigning to reduce air pollution. Founded in 2017 after becoming aware of the level of toxic air pollution on the UK’s streets, we work to tackle poor air quality and raise awareness of the impact of air pollution.
Children at the launch of the School Street at Acacias Primary School. Image credit: James Mulholland.
Mums for Lungs has been championing School Streets for seven years. In that time, we have spoken to hundreds of parents, created insightful resources, developed and delivered school assemblies, shared our knowledge with councils and council officers, worked with communities all over London, mobilised hundreds of parents to campaign for their own School Streets and carried out research highlighting how School Streets can be implemented in a cost-neutral way.
Mums for Lungs recently submitted a Freedom of Information request to all 32 London Boroughs and the City of London asking for cost data on their School Streets. The FOI was focused on London Boroughs due to the number of School Streets in the capital compared to the rest of the country, but there’s no reason to suggest the findings couldn’t be replicated across the UK.
Key messages about School Streets
School Streets continue to be a success – where School Streets are in place, research shows that there is an overall drop in traffic volumes around the School Street. This leads to lower transport emissions around the schools.
School Streets have a range of benefits – research shows that they reduce nitrogen dioxide levels by 23 per cent, allowing children and their parents and carers to breathe cleaner air on the school run. Travelling actively increases mood, behaviour and confidence, increases attention levels and enhances performance, benefitting children throughout the school day.
Implementing School Streets is cost-neutral to councils – 76% of councils surveyed in the FOI said that their schemes had broken even or generated income for the council. The true figure could be higher, with better data collection or changes to the operating model. For the 24% that don’t break even, this is because the authority couldn’t provide accurate costs for implementation, had a volunteer-led scheme or weren’t enforcing the scheme.
Background
School Streets is an initiative to get parents, carers and children to walk, cycle or scoot to school, making the school run safer and reducing emissions. Streets around the school are closed to motor traffic at drop-off and pick-up time. The number of streets closed varies depending on the scheme, and they are set up in different ways. For example, some schemes are monitored and enforced by ANPR cameras, whereas others have manual barriers staffed by volunteers.
Bexley is the only London Borough not to have any School Streets. Outside of London, there are School Streets in place in cities such as Birmingham, Oxford, Portsmouth, Cardiff, Manchester and Edinburgh. There are over 800 School Streets in London, compared to just over 200 in the rest of England, Scotland and Wales. Mums for Lungs is looking to work with councils outside London to encourage take-up of School Streets. Transport for London data found that over 70% of parents and carers support School Streets.
School Streets enforcement and costs: FOI responses
Mums for Lungs recently sent an FOI request to all 32 London Boroughs and the City of London asking a range of questions about the number of School Streets, how they are enforced, the costs associated with implementation and ongoing enforcement, and any revenue generated because of the School Streets.
Some clear messages have arisen from the responses received:
All councils using ANPR camera enforcement who provided information about the cost of installation report that the schemes have broken even or are generating revenue.
The average cost of implementing a School Street scheme is approximately £85,000-£100,000, which includes cameras, consultation costs, TMOs and staff time.
Generally, schemes are breaking even after two years, with PCN income dropping off the longer the scheme is in place as people become more aware of the scheme and adjust their travel patterns. Some schemes will break even much sooner than others.
Councils are implementing School Streets because they protect children from air pollution and road danger. Where revenue is generated, this is ring-fenced under Section 55 of the Road Traffic Regulations 1984, so any surplus income generated must be spent on public transport, highways and environmental improvements.
Out of the 24% of councils who responded that they couldn’t provide information on whether the scheme breaks even, this is either because they couldn’t provide accurate costs for implementation, have a volunteer-led scheme or aren’t enforcing the scheme.
Case studies
Southwark, London - Bessemer Grange Primary School
School Street at Bessemer Grange Primary School. Image credit: Etta Collier
Bessemer Grange Primary School in North Dulwich is a popular School Street that has been in place since 2018. The scheme uses protective bollards and ANPR at one junction to enforce closures to motor vehicles at drop-off and pick-up times. With over 600 pupils, drop-off and pick-up times could get busy and dangerous with a large number of cars on the roads around the school. When the scheme was reviewed in late 2023 with plans to remove the bollards in favour of ANPR, the school community and local residents mobilised to save the bollards due to how popular it had become. A petition to save the School Street started by parents attracted over 650 signatures, demonstrating the level of support for the scheme. Southwark Council’s own research found that the scheme cut the number of car, van and other motor vehicle journeys by 82%, and the number of people cycling more than doubled. The scheme was continued and remains popular to this day.
Lambeth, London - Elmwood Primary School
School Street at Elmwood Primary School. Image credit: Anna Goodman
Elmwood Primary School in West Norwood, Lambeth, had a School Street put in place during the Covid19 pandemic. Although it had some effect, it wasn’t sufficient for many families, who wanted more. It was very small, enforced by moveable barriers, which were sometimes ignored by drivers, making it even more dangerous. As the Lambeth School Street programme expanded and parents saw the ambition of other School Streets, they decided to ask for more. They felt that Automatic Number Plate Recognition cameras (ANPR) would be the best way to ensure that drivers wouldn’t drive through the School Street. They held an event, asked the cabinet member for Sustainable Lambeth and Clean Air (who covers transport) to come along, and used the opportunity to show her the issues with enforcement, and explain what they would like. The street is now closed by cameras and families are much happier.
“The cameras have made a real difference. Our School Street is now much safer for children, making the morning drop-off far less stressful. We’re really pleased with the results, especially the positive impact on air quality. Ideally, we’d like to see the scheme extended to the school’s other entrance, and we’re continuing to campaign for that.”
Oldham, Greater Manchester - Safer to Schools programme
At the start of the 2024/25 academic year, Oldham Council launched the first School Street in Greater Manchester to use ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition) cameras, in partnership with Transport for Greater Manchester. The schemes at Hey with Zion Primary School and St. Edwards RC Primary School were introduced as part of our wider ‘Safer to Schools’ programme, aiming to create healthier, low-traffic environments for families. ANPR was chosen from the outset to ensure consistent and effective enforcement, allowing the Council to monitor compliance while easing the burden on staff and police.
Within just a few months, car traffic near the school gates dropped by 21% and 33% at each school, while active travel more than doubled. A parent survey found 65% supported keeping the School Street permanently, and 63% would encourage other schools to adopt the model. Parents praised the changes, with one saying: “It’s now safer to walk to school… it has encouraged me to walk more, which is good.”
The schemes have been recognised with the ICE North West Future Resilience Award and are now seen as a blueprint for further roll-out across the UK. The Council's fourth School Street is already in development at St. Luke’s Primary School in Chadderton.
Webinar for councillors and officers
Mums for Lungs wants to support local authorities in implementing School Streets across the country. We’re running a webinar on Friday 17th October at 12pm, bringing together councillors and council officers from across the country to share our collective expertise and best practice. Please join us, wherever you are, and be inspired to implement School Streets at pace in your area.