School Street - pros/cons

Bloome22 · 2025-08-12T08:13:30+00:00

Hi, not sure what category to put this on… Do you live on a School street? Just interested in hearing views really. Pros/cons. Thanks!

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boulevardofbrokendreamss · 12/08/2025 09:20

If you need to leave / return to your house coinciding with drop off / pick up it is a fucking nightmare. I wouldn’t do it again.

Noseprawns · 12/08/2025 09:20

Yes I do. It’s been fine because my kids go to the school and any stress from living near the school is absolutely obliterated by my 40 second school run.
Occasionally we get people hanging over the drive, there’s been some aggro ( not involving me but I’ve seen/heard it) once or twice in 13 years.
It’s busy for 20 mins max in the morning and afternoon. I’m either doing the school run myself or working so it hasn’t impacted.
If on the very rare occasion I know I need to get off my drive between 0820 and 0840 then I park on the road the night before or around 0800. There’s just too many kids whizzing up and down the pavement
Upside: v quiet neighbours (we back on to them so no evening weekend summer Christmas noise!)
As said, fabulous school run that outweighs any negatives by a million

Original poster

Bloome22 · 12/08/2025 09:33

Thanks! Sorry I should have clarified - I meant ‘School Street’ as in the council initiative rather than living on a street with a school on it. Sorry can’t seem to edit my original post.

OP posts:

Lament7189 · 12/08/2025 09:39

Impossible at my DS’s school as I think only 3 children in his class live within walking distance of the school.

It would be impossible for the rest to get there without a car.

Fupoffyagrasshole · 12/08/2025 09:44

We do! We are north London though and pretty much nobody on our street would be using a car for work or anything we all just take the train or tube and both stations are within 5mins from us

my daughter will literally cross a road and be in her school in less than 2 mins in September

so it’s no issue for us tbh

it’s a nice safe street too no traffic

Needmorelego · 12/08/2025 09:55

I live on one.
It's annoying because taxis aren't allowed down - which is ironic as my daughter has a taxi provided to get to her SEN school. Thankfully we can walk to the end of the road to get it but for anyone with mobility issues is a pain.
(some School Streets do allow taxis we are just unfortunate)
It's also annoying for home deliveries because you have to remember not to order anything during the "forbidden time" (as I call it) because they can't drive down.
The biggest pain in the bum is that the restrictions aren't in use during the school holidays (ie now) but it doesn't say that on any of the signs. This meant my supermarket food delivery I ordered specifically to come for tea time couldn't deliver until almost 10pm because they had to tag me on the end of the days deliveries.
Conclusion: it's a bit annoying about taxis and deliveries but generally it's fine.
The restrictions are an hour in the morning and an hour after school so 2 hours in total. Not too awful.

Seeline · 12/08/2025 10:49

The school streets round our way apply 8-9.30 and 2-4 which is a big chunk of the day!
I don't live on one, but have friends who do. They can't have deliveries during that time. I can't visit one of my friends - they live in a block of flats with a large car park, so I wouldn't even be parking on the road!

WearyAuldWumman · 12/08/2025 10:53

I do.

I had a bit of an issue at one point with parents using my driveway for turning/dropping off and churning it up. (It's gravel.)

When DH put up a chain across the mouth of the driveway, someone took bolt cutters to it.

I've not had that problem for years now, but I still get quite a lot of litter blowing into the garden in term time.

Seeline · 12/08/2025 11:21

OP is talking about School Streets - where the Council install traffic cameras and no one is allowed to drive along the street during certain hours of the day without a permit or they get hefty fines.
In our Council area, the people who live in the road are allowed to register their vehicle details and can use the road during those hours.
But they can't have deliveries, care visits, guests, workmen etc bringing vehicles into the road during those hours.

Blueberry911 · 12/08/2025 19:14

Seeline · 12/08/2025 11:21

OP is talking about School Streets - where the Council install traffic cameras and no one is allowed to drive along the street during certain hours of the day without a permit or they get hefty fines.
In our Council area, the people who live in the road are allowed to register their vehicle details and can use the road during those hours.
But they can't have deliveries, care visits, guests, workmen etc bringing vehicles into the road during those hours.

This sounds like a ballache for online shopping.

Raindancer411 · 12/08/2025 20:38

Ours comes into effect next month and is a bit of a joke. As long as you park up before it happens, you can still drive out in that time. As it only comes into affect 5-10 mins before the kids come out, it won’t make much difference, I don’t expect.

Asabat · 12/08/2025 20:50

We have had one for a few years and it's great. We used to have hideous amount of parking up and idling, honking, parking on zig zags and fights. The issue with taxis/deliveries was actually worse because no one could get up the road anyway and if it was also bin day it was gridlock.

I love seeing all the kids walking and cycling and it seems to make for a much more relaxed morning for everyone. Pollution levels are better and the street feels peaceful rather than frantic and tense during term time. It has changed the street's relationship with the school too I think.

Our hours are 8:30 to 9:30 and 2:45 to 3:45, but this is for a city school, in a highly residential area. The council are quick and responsive about exemptions and will do them retrospectively - we have direct email, so things like having building contractors is pretty straightforward if you let them know.