To reduce traffic danger and congestion in the area, Bristol City Council is closing a section of Abingdon Road (from Moorlands Road to the junction with Acton Road) to non-essential vehicles from 8.30am to 9.10am and from 2.50pm to 3.30pm, Monday to Friday, during term-time only.

The experimental scheme will launch on 6 June 2022 by means of an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order, which can last for up to 18 months.

Certain exemptions apply, including emergency services and blue badge holders. Residents and carers of residents on the street are able to apply for an access permit.

To help with the closure, a new one-way will be introduced on Acton Road, travelling away from Abingdon Road. Introducing a part-time one way system is considered unsafe, and so this will be in use 24-hours a day, seven days a week. People travelling by cycle are exempt from this restriction.

Signs will be on display at the entrance to the School Street zone, and temporary barriers will be placed on the road to help reinforce the measures. A trained member of school staff will operate the barriers, with support from Bristol City Council officers.

Introducing a one-way will prevent drivers from driving down Acton Road and getting trapped when discovering the road closure, which should avoid people having to make dangerous turns in the road.

The schemes can be enforced by the police. The penalty for ignoring the prohibition is a fixed penalty notice. Advanced warning signs will be installed, and barriers will be placed at the entrance to the scheme, and monitored by school staff and Bristol City Council staff. All vehicles already parked in the zone before the times of operation will be able to exit without incurring a fixed penalty notice.

Residents within the School Streets zone will be able to exit their road during the zone’s operational hours without requiring an access permit.

If you live in the School Street zone and require access during the times of operation, you can apply for one here.

Where possible, we encourage all motorists to avoid driving in the zone when in operation. If driving in the zone, we ask that you do so at no more than 5mph.

School Streets will make it easier for Blue Badge holders to access the school by reducing traffic outside the school gates. Those holding a Blue Badge will be exempt from the restrictions but should still avoid parking on school ‘keep clear’ zigzag markings. We will ask that Blue Badge holders display their Blue Badge clearly in the windscreen of their vehicle.

We will ask people with additional access requirements and those with disabilities to contact the Bristol School Streets team to discuss any personal access needs as they may be eligible for an exemption permit.

No – parents or carers dropping children at school will not be eligible for an exemption, unless you or your child are a Blue Badge holder or have access needs.  We are pleased that parents at our existing Bristol School Streets schools are embracing the scheme and are choosing to walk, cycle or scoot where possible.

No, they must be inside the area before it comes into operation but they may leave at any time. Only staff who have a Blue Badge will be exempt.

Yes – if you are a carer who regularly supports a resident within the zone, you may be eligible for an exemption. Please visit our resident and carer permit page here, which includes details on how to apply.

Any deliveries will need to adhere to the School Street times of operation. Deliveries should be scheduled outside of closure times, where possible. During the times of operation, delivery drivers can park on a nearby street and still make deliveries by foot. On occasions where this is not possible, for example you’re moving home or having a fridge delivered, you will be able to use the Bristol School Streets phone line to request access.

Bristol School Streets aims to encourage and prioritise a safe environment around schools. We hope that parents and carers will support the trial by walking, cycling and scooting to school with their children.

We are aware that some will still need to drive. Where possible, please ‘Park and Stride’ or ‘Scoot from the Boot’, which means driving some of the way and walking/scooting the final 5 to10 minutes to school. It is important to be mindful of local residents and other road users by not obstructing driveways, pavements and public transport routes.

We will continue to work closely with the school to promote other forms of transport and encourage families not to come by car where possible. Some, though, will not be able to do this and we will work with the school to explore complementary initiatives such as Walking Buses, providing scooter and cycle training, and supporting the school with Modeshift STARS (a national sustainable travel scheme).

Evidence suggests that where School Streets have been implemented, the result is a reduction in car use rather than displacement to surrounding streets. This is something we will be monitoring as part of the evaluation of this trial scheme, and we will consider future proposals to mitigate any issues that arise. 

The measures are being introduced using an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO), which can be in force for up to 18 months.

During the first six months of the experiment, there will be an opportunity for anyone to object against the measures remaining in force on a permanent basis. Objections will be considered carefully, and, together with monitoring data, will help to determine whether any changes are needed, which would be subject to a further 6-month objection period, before a final decision is made on whether this School Street scheme should be made permanent or removed.

The consultation period will run from 6 June to 5 December 2022. If you want your views to be considered, you must respond during this period.

To find out more about how to object, go to www.bristol.gov.uk/trafficorders. Alternatively look out for the site notices which will be displayed on lampposts near the school from 24 May as well as the Notice of Making, which will be advertised in the Bristol Post.

The street should be visibly calmer and feel safer at the start and end of the school day. Data will be collected and compared before and after the scheme on modes of travel to school, traffic counts, collision data, parking surveys and feedback from the school and local community.