Answers to common questions about the School Streets Scheme:
It’s a nationally recognised project to promote sustainable travel and reduce the impact of school gate parking.
The first phase of the scheme at three schools went live on Monday 4 September 2017. The second phase of the scheme expanded the project to a further 2 schools and went live on Wednesday 2 September 2020.
Residents of the affected streets will automatically be allocated two permits which they will be required to display in their vehicle windscreen whenever they drive through the restriction. For further information visit our School Streets Permits page.
The restriction times can be found here.
Visitors
Please co-ordinate with any visitors to avoid arriving during the 40 minute window in the morning and 1 hour window in the afternoon when the restriction is in force. Outside of these periods access will be unaffected.
The current set of prescribed automatic exemptions include taxis, delivery drivers, carers and those persons working on behalf of gas, water or electricity suppliers specifically. These are exempt as typically it is not possible to set the times at which such services arrive on site.
Tradespeople
All tradespeople carrying out works on properties located within the school exclusion zone will be exempt from the restriction and will not require a permit.
At this time it is not proposed to provide permits to visitors.
District nurses, carers and similar support workers will be exempt from the restriction and will not require a permit.
Blue badge holders are exempt from the restriction and will not require a permit.
The Police are the enforcing body.
The Police are able to issue a £50 fixed penalty fine to anyone caught driving through the restriction when it is in force.
There are gateway signs at the entrance to each restricted street with details of the times that the restriction is in force. The Police are engaged with the Council and fully supportive of the initiative. For further information on the penalties please see our How it will work page.
Parents/carers not able to walk their whole journey to school are asked to park outside of the restriction and complete the last part on foot.
We have worked with local businesses to identify suitable alternative parking locations.
- For Haslucks Green we have confirmed with Asda that parents/carers are welcome to park in their underground car park on Haslucks Green Road
- For Marston Green we have secured agreement for parents/carers to continue to use the pub car park at the Marston Green Tavern
- For Widney we would ask that parents park at the Solihull Sports and Social Club on Brick Kiln Lane
- For St Andrews there are a number of parking opportunities including Hobs Meadow
- We continue to look for suitable venues at Oak Cottage and will update this page again if any locations are identified
We ask that all parents/carers park considerately and consider the access needs of local residents when parking.
Residents will be able to continue to access School Streets when the restriction is in force. Any existing parking restrictions in place on the roads will continue to operate and anyone parking in contravention of these will be liable for the relevant penalty notice.
All the schools have been issued with a number of permits which they will be able to allocate to staff with a specific need to drive through the School Streets during the period of the restriction.
We have identified a number of locations where parents and carers may wish to consider parking. Individuals with specific mobility concerns who are blue badge holders are exempt from the restriction and therefore will be unaffected by the proposal.
The scheme will only operate during the week, Monday to Friday.
Because the dates of school and bank holidays are not fixed and change from year to year, it has not been possible to write into the restriction that it will operate as term time only. Therefore the restriction will be in force throughout the year.
Update July 2019
The restrictions in the zone around Oak Cottage Primary School will not be in operation during the school's summer break as these roads are through roads.
Through the scheme we will be promoting alternative forms of travel and encouraging parents and children to walk to school from home. As such we do not anticipate significant levels of increased parking displacement, although it is acknowledged that there will be some as it is not possible for all parents/carers to walk to school.
Where this is not possible, we have been working with local businesses to identify alternative parking locations for parents/carers to use. See our where can I park answer for further information.
Existing restrictions in this location should prevent access to and additional displacement onto these roads. As part of the scheme we will be improving signage at these locations and working with the Police to ensure that this is the case.
Unauthorised vehicles entering Wadleys Road and Fircroft would be subject to the same penalty as cars driving through the School Streets zone.