A number of residents have written to me in respect of the new School Street Scheme around The Ridgeway School. I have had confirmation from the council that the scheme is not yet ready to be enforced.
This is the response I have received from the council:
The traffic order came into effect on 1 September 2020 and the camera was installed in time. However, the scheme operation cannot go live until the road signs are also correctly installed. The lack of signs does not make the traffic order illegal, but it does make it unenforceable.
These signs have been waiting for the power utility company to install the electrified posts to mount them onto. Due to unforeseen circumstances, the work has not been completed in time. I am aware that their engineers were finally on site last Wednesday, to mark the grounds in advance of a works crew finishing the work. We expect this to now happen in the next few days. We will then commence a period of issuing advisory warning notices in accordance with the London Councils guidance for this type of schemes.
In regards to the concern about traffic displacement, the evidence from other School Street schemes nationally suggests that traffic and parking pressure on the local road network around the school should in fact reduce. This results when a portion of school parents take up walking and when the restrictions in Southcote Road makes the area less attractive as a rat run for external traffic.
I hope this information is of assistance. I guess we will have to wait and see how the scheme goes and do advise me of any concerns.
