School streets

A School Street is a part time restriction on driving motor vehicles on roads around a school.

We propose that access would be restricted at school start and finish times Monday to Friday at the following times:

• Catrine Primary School - 8.45am–9.30am and 2.30pm–3.20pm 
• St Sophia's Primary School - 8.30am-9.15am and 2.30pm-3.15pm
• Netherthird Primary School - 8.40am-9.05am and 2.45pm-3.15pm

Catrine and St Sophia's restrictions apply on weekdays in term time. Netherthird restrictions apply on all weekdays.

The restriction allows access during the periods of operation for the following only:

• Permit holders
• Blue badge holders
• School transport vehicles (buses and contracted taxis)
• Exempt vehicles (see exemptions in FAQ below)

The scheme aims to substantially reduce vehicular traffic in these streets to a point where pedestrian traffic and cyclists take priority and people, especially children, feel safer on the streets around schools.

Starting your school day with a walk or a short cycle ride is better than having to digest your cornflakes sitting in the back of a car. There is evidence of a link between more physical activity and an increase in academic achievement.

Early years' aged children can easily walk half a mile, increasing to at least one and a half miles in primary school.

Scooters fit easily in the boot of a car so you can park and scoot if you prefer. Travelling this way to and from school allows you to teach your children valuable road safety skills (Green Cross Code), play games like 'I Spy' and talk about their school day.

The trials at Catrine and St Sophia’s Primary Schools started on 19 April 2022. The trial at Netherthird Primary School is expected to start on 27 October 2022.

Yes. The following are exempt from the restrictions:

• Blue badge holders
• Doctors
• Emergency service vehicles (including NHS carers)
• Permit holders
• Postal vehicles
• Refuse vehicles
• School transport vehicles (including contracted taxis)
• Utility vehicles (for example, Scottish Water)

Permit holders are residents living within the affected streets.

Download the plans for more details:

• Catrine Primary School's temporary school streets road closure plan (PDF 1.30Mb)
• St Sophia's Primary School's temporary school streets road closure plan (PDF 1.50Mb)
• Netherthird Primary School's temporary school streets road closure plan (PDF 494Kb)

These residents will automatically receive two free permits which they will be required to display in their vehicle windscreen whenever they drive through the restricted areas. Parents or carers dropping children at school will not be eligible for a permit.

Residents of the affected streets will automatically receive a permit which they will be required to display in their vehicle windscreen whenever they drive through the restricted areas.

Parents or carers dropping children at school will not be eligible for a permit. 

No. Residents of the affected streets will automatically receive a permit. Key workers such as carers will be exempt as will blue badge holders.

Deliveries will need to be arranged outwith the times of the restriction.

Other visitors will need to park away from the affected street and walk to the school.

District nurses, NHS carers and similar support workers will be exempt from the restrictions and will not require a permit.

The restrictions are in place to support safer movement for the most vulnerable road users and so if it's possible to schedule visits around the restricted periods, we would ask that you try to do so.

Blue badge holders are exempt from the restriction and will not require a permit. Please display your blue badge in your windscreen when driving in the affected streets.

The restrictions are in place to support safer movement for the most vulnerable road users and so if it's possible to schedule visits around the restricted periods, we would ask that you try to do so. 

If you are a regular visitor during the restricted times (ie for caring responsibilities) and need to drive directly to the property for this purpose, the resident may choose to allocate one of their permits to you for the duration of the trial. 

Otherwise, if visiting within the restricted times, visitors will need to park away from the affected street and walk to the property.

Exemptions are in place for blue badge holders (see exemptions in FAQ above).

If you do not have a blue badge we would ask you consider walking, cycling or scooting from home.

If you are unable to do this you will need to park outside the School Street restricted area and complete the last part of the journey on foot, bike or scooter.

If choosing to park and stride, scoot or bike we would ask that you park considerately, thinking about the access needs of local residents.

Download the plans for more details on the restricted areas:

• Catrine Primary School's temporary school streets road closure plan (PDF 1.30Mb) - Parents at Catrine Primary are reminded that the school crossing patroller operates at the junction of Sloan Street and James Taylor Avenue. Please do not stop to drop children in this area. Instead, please park slightly further away from the junction.
  
  
• St Sophia's Primary School's temporary school streets road closure plan (PDF 1.50Mb) - For parents of children at St Sophia’s we have agreed with the Original Factory Shop that parents can use part of their car park on a trial basis to park and stride.  Please use the spaces beside the wall, leaving the others available for customers.
  
  
• Netherthird Primary School's temporary school streets road closure plan (PDF 494Kb) - For parents of children at Netherthird Primary school we have agreed with the Community Council that the Community Centre car park can be used to Park and Stride. 

You may choose to drive into the School Street area and park before the start of the restricted period. However, if you do so, you are not permitted to leave the restricted area until the restrictions end (unless you are a permit holder, or have a valid blue badge)

The playground is supervised from 15 minutes before the first bell.

If you aren’t able to change the times of your other commitments (work, childcare, other school runs), then consider whether dropping your children at school during this supervised period will give you the extra time you need to stay on schedule.

School Streets will remain in place in all weather conditions. Wet weather days tend to be when the streets around schools become busiest with traffic and visibility is reduced from rain on the windscreen and spray on the roads. The fewer vehicles there are around the school on poor weather days, the safer it is for families walking or wheeling.

We appreciate concerns around arriving at school wet. Umbrellas, wellies and waterproofs are all useful to have and you could carry a change of shoes for your child to put on when they arrive at school.

The restrictions are highlighted by planters on the carriageway at each entrance to the school street area and traffic signs that show the legally enforceable prohibition of motor vehicles at each entrance to and exit from the school streets area.

The location of the planters has been planned to restrict access and slow vehicles down, but will still enable access by bin lorries, delivery vehicles and school buses.

The planters have been provided with a range of seasonal plants. We are keen to hear from residents who would be willing to volunteer to help the school to look after the planters (particularly during school holidays).  

We will also need to display traffic signs that show the legally enforceable prohibition of motor vehicles at each entrance to and exit from the school streets area.

We are also considering using a coloured surface treatment at each entrance, but this will depend on how long the trials are likely to last.

The police have powers to enforce the new restrictions. Anyone caught driving through the restricted zones whilst the restriction is in force without a valid permit or exemption can be issued with a Fixed Penalty Notice.

The scheme will only operate from Monday to Friday during school term time and will not be enforced when the school is closed, for example weekends, bank holidays or in-service days.

No. The scheme has been designed by council officers together with community representatives.

Although School Streets is a relatively new concept, they have been implemented around the UK and there is building evidence about the positive benefits associated with them.

We would remove the restriction at the end of the trial period if this was the overwhelming response from the community, but we hope that this will not be necessary.

This is one possible outcome, but would be dependent on the results of the monitoring and would also be subject to statutory consultation.

We are not able to agree to undertake any other trials until we have completed these.

For residents in Catrine and St Sophia’s School Street areas, the permits issued to residents in March 2021 are still valid.

If you have lost these permits over the summer holidays please email enquiries@ayrshireroadsalliance.org putting 'School Streets resident permit' in the subject of your email and confirming your postal address.

For residents in the Netherthird School Street area, you will be issued with permits a couple of weeks before the start of the trial.