A road in Reading is set to close each weekday at peak times to help improve safety during school pick ups and drop-offs.
Permission has been granted for Exbourne Road in Whitley to close between 8.20am and 9.05am, and from 2.50pm until 3.30pm from Monday to Friday.
The closure will be put in place to allow pupils and families to walk or cycle to the three schools in the road.
Exbourne Road contains Geoffrey Field junior school, Geoffrey Field infant school and Christ the King Roman Catholic primary school.
The closures will be implemented as part of Reading Borough Council’s school street schemes and administered by volunteers. The decision to create this school street was made at a meeting of the council’s traffic management sub-committee.
Councillor Rachel Eden (Labour, Whitley) supported the temporary closures, reflecting that she had attended a ‘play street’ event hosted by the schools back in 2014.
She said: “This particular road, I would argue, is probably the most obvious street in the borough for a school street.
“It’s long been a road where we’ve got three schools, where there have been issues around cars and the majority of children and their families walk to Exbourne Road and the schools there.
“But that is such a tight space that even just a few cars make it very very difficult and there’s a real perception of danger, so I’m really delighted to support this.”
Cllr Eden added the school street had the support of her fellow Whitley councillors, and of former councillors.
The temporary closures will be implemented for morning drop-offs and afternoon pick-ups during term times only.
Councillors unanimously agreed to create the Exbourne Road school street on an experimental basis, with a six-month statutory consultation into the scheme taking place.
If no objections are raised, the council’s assistant director of legal and democratic services has been given the power to make the school street permanent.
The decision was made on Thursday, June 13.
At the same meeting, councillors also unanimously agreed to adjust the school street serving the Civitas Academy in Great Knollys Street.
It was also agreed that the afternoon closure of Great Knollys Street should be extended by five minutes, with restrictions beginning at 2.50pm.
Cllr Mohammed Ayub (Labour, Abbey) welcomed the implementation of the Civitas school street.
He said: “I’ve actually witnessed all the congestion caused by parents dropping off and picking up and also residents leaving from there, so I welcome this and look forward to it.”
