Bristol School Streets: St Peter’s C of E Primary School

St Peter’s Church of England Primary School in Bishopsworth was one of the council’s first pilot schools launched as part of the Bristol School Streets scheme.

The main aims of the Bristol School Streets are to:

  • Lower the volume of traffic around the school gates 
  • Improve road safety for pupils and their families 
  • Encourage more pupils to walk, wheel, cycle or scoot to school 
  • Improve the air quality and environment at the school gates, making it a more pleasant space for everyone 

Bristol City Council worked closely with St Peter’s CofE Primary School and launched in February 2020 and operated under a Temporary Traffic Regulation Order. Following a formal consultation that took place between 28 October 2021 and 19 November 2021, the decision was made to make the scheme permanent by the introduction of a Traffic Regulation Order. This came into effect on 14 March 2022.

This involved turning Ellfield Close, the road directly outside of St Peter’s CofE Primary School, into a walking and-cycle only zone, for short periods at the beginning and end of the school day.

St Peter's School Streets map showing the Pedestrian and Cycle only zone

  • To reduce traffic danger and congestion in the area, Bristol City Council has turned Ellfield Close into a walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting-only zone at school start and finish times.

    Vehicles are not permitted to enter the zone for 35 minutes in the morning between 8:30 and 9:05 and 30 minutes in the afternoon between 15:00 and 15:30. Emergency vehicles, Blue Badge holders and residents of Ellfield Close are exempt from these restrictions.

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

  • School Streets make it easier for Blue Badge holders to access the school entrances by reducing traffic outside the school gates. Those holding valid Blue Badges are exempt from the restrictions, but existing parking restrictions (e.g. double yellow lines) still apply. We ask that Blue Badge holders display their Blue Badge clearly in the windscreen of their vehicle and they may be stopped and asked to confirm their details on some occasions.

  • Residents within the School Streets zone are 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.

  • We would 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 access permit.

    E-mail: [email protected]

  • Parents or carers dropping children at school are not eligible for an exemption, unless you or your child are a Blue Badge holder or a resident of the School Street zone. 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.

  • School staff need to be inside the School Street zone area before it comes into operation. Only staff who have a Blue Badge are exempt. School staff are able to leave the zone during the times of operation without requiring an access permit.

  • Bristol School Streets aims to encourage and prioritise a safe environment around schools to allow for walking, cycling and scooting. Parents and carers who feel they need to drive will need to park legally nearby and walk the remainder of the journey.

  • We are working with the school to promote active travel to school, which includes walking, wheeling, cycling and scooting. We are also looking at identifying suitable park and stride locations, enabling parents and carers to park slightly further away from the school and walk the remaining distance.

    Evidence suggests that where School Streets have been implemented, the result is a reduction in car use rather than displacement to surrounding streets. We will continue to monitor the impact of the scheme now it has been implemented.

  • Ellfield Close should be visibly calmer and feel safer during these times. Data has been collected before the scheme was implemented and will be monitored as the measures are in place. The change in traffic levels, parking surveys, how pupils travel to school and feedback from the local community will be used to measure the success of the scheme.