Published on:
14
August 2017
A new projects to improve road safety around Clackmannan Primary School is being introduced at the start of the new term on 22 August.A School Street project is where the road outside a school is closed to through traffic for short periods at school opening and closing times.
This helps to achieve a safer and more pleasant environment for everyone using the street whilst maintaining access for residents, businesses, pedestrians and cyclists. In Clackmannan, that means that on Lochies Road and Castle Terrace, vehicle exclusion zones will operate Monday-Friday between 8:30-9:10am and 2:50-3:20pm, during school term time only. Access is permitted for local residents and businesses if their vehicle is registered for a school streets permit, blue badge holders and local service buses.
This project is being introduced in Clackmannan to meet one of the main priorities that local people identified in the Clackmannan Community Plan, to address road safety issues in the primary school area. Local residents and businesses in the affected streets have been contacted with information on how they can apply, free of charge, for a School Streets Permit for a vehicle or vehicles registered to their address. Signs will inform drivers of the restrictions before the entrance to the closed street.
Where non-registered vehicles are found to be driven within the zone during exclusion times, a penalty charge notice can be issued.Education Spokesperson Cllr Graham Lindsay said: "The safety of our communities is a key priority for the Council, and in our discussions with the local community, they let us know that they wanted us to look at how road safety around the school could be improved. This project is part of the wider £5 million investment that is being made to regenerate and improve Clackmannan, and I look forward to hearing how the project develops, and if it is suitable for other areas of Clackmannanshire.
"This project will also include improvements to the roads and pavements around the school with the aim of improving pupil road safety, encouraging active travel and promoting responsible parking. School Streets Projects have been introduced successfully in other parts of Scotland, and this first local project will be evaluated fully to see if it could be introduced to other schools in Clackmannanshire, although not all schools will be suitable.