Parents endless campaigning for School Streets across Havering.

Clear the air campaigner Ruth Kettle-Frisby today writes in the Havering Daily on the implementation of School Streets across the borough.

As a local mother of two young children, I’m really excited about the news that three School Streets in Havering have been proposed: Hacton Primary, Whybridge and Brittons, and Rise Park Schools (links below). 

School Streets are something parents and carers have been timelessly campaigning for because the evidence is clear: all children – and particularly marginalised children, including children of colour, poorer children, and disabled children – suffer the worst traffic-related harm.  As such, it is our duty to protect them.

 I wanted to respond to some misinformation I’ve heard in response to the School Streets:

 • Peer reviewed evidence shows that traffic reduction measures increase house prices. 

 • Research into School Streets traffic displacement shows that where this occurs, traffic also reduces, which means air quality and safety improves. Don’t let “displacement of traffic” mask the benefits to our children’s health and safety.  

 • School Streets is not a Council-led scheme, so it hasn’t been devised by them to make money; it is a community-led initiative to protect our children during pick up and drop off times, and to incentivise active travel like walking and cycling. 

 It’s become normalised to drive regularly for very short distances, however walking and cycling these distances will clear our air and make us all healthier. 

 School Streets clean up our environment for children who do nothing to cause air pollution and yet suffer some of the worst consequences in terms of short and long-term health impacts. 

 This is why I applaud Better Streets for Havering, who are :100% in favour”, and I urge residents to participate in the public consultation for the sake of all our children by the closing date on 8 September. 

 If you are a head teacher of a primary school locally, please get in touch. I am a trained teacher and will gladly devote my time to delivering Mums for Lungs school assembly presentations on School Streets on a voluntary basis. 

Hacton Primary:

https://consultation.havering.gov.uk/environment/hacton-primary-school-streets-consultation

Whybridge and Brittons:

https://consultation.havering.gov.uk/environment/whybridge-and-brittons-school-streets-consultation

Rise Park Schools:

https://consultation.havering.gov.uk/environment/rise-park-schools-school-streets-consul

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