FAQs

St George’s Primary School is one of the largest primary schools in Wirral with over 700 children arriving and leaving on a short stretch of St George’s Road. We ran a temporary road closure outside St George’s Primary School during the COVID-19 pandemic, owing to the size of the school roll and the available space for social distancing. We are 

• Formalising the arrangements to prevent vehicles accessing Walkers Croft 
• Introducing parking restrictions (see map) to protect junctions where we have monitored poor driver behaviour  e.g. reversing and parking as the school and local community and walking or cycling 
• Improving signage at the junction of Mayfield Road to raise awareness that there will be no left turn at the times of operation.
• Providing permits and improving access and egress arrangements for residents within the section of St Georges Road (between Perrin Road and St Johns Road) and Walkers Croft.

This consultation will be live for 6 months from the date the scheme goes live in October 2022 and this is a really important opportunity for communities to have their say on these arrangements and what happens in the future.

A School Street is a stretch of road outside a school that is temporarily closed to traffic during school drop off and pick-up times. This then limits traffic in the road outside the school at key times and creates a predominantly car free zone resulting in a safer and more pleasant environment for everyone around the school. The scheme encourages travelling to school by walking and cycling or scooting.

Vehicles will not be allowed to enter the School Street when it is in operation (during school drop-off and pick up times) unless exempt.

Exemptions include:

• Vehicles displaying a valid School Streets permit 
• Blue badge holders residing at or visiting properties within the restricted roads, or accessing the school
• School buses and school transport services serving the school.
• Public transport 
• Taxis serving properties within the restricted roads 
• Emergency services, doctors on call, district nurses, carers and support workers working at the properties on the restricted roads
• Statutory public services/utilities (gas, electricity, water, telecoms companies) working at the properties on the restricted roads
• Tradespeople serving properties within the restricted roads
• Delivery and postal services

Motorists are required to drive carefully during the School Street operation times. Residents who live on the School Street (or require access to their property) will be exempt but will need to apply for a permit. All residents will receive a letter from the council to explain this and how to apply. If you have not received a letter please email schoolstreets@wirral.gov.uk

For the operating times for each of the School Streets, please visit the dedicated page below.

The operational hours of the School Street will also be indicated on the road signs at the school.

A School Street reduces the build-up of traffic outside school gates for local residents and those using the school and creates a safer, healthier and happier environment for children, families and people in the community.

Greenleas Primary School in Wallasey was the first school to launch in Wirral. There are many School Streets around the country, and where they are in place, more children are encouraged to wheel and walk, to school.

Wirral Council understand that it is not always possible for everyone to walk, cycle or scoot to and/or from school. Certain people and vehicles will be exempt from the School Street restrictions and the council will work with the schools involved and their community to make sure that alternative suggestions are considered.

Please see the map attached to this page showing which roads will be closed.

We are actively encouraging people to walk, cycle or scoot to school. If you have limited options to do this due to work commitments etc, we would encourage people to park and stride for the remainder of the journey. The council will work with the schools involved and their community to make sure that alternative suggestions are considered.

If you are parking on roads outside of the School Street zone please be considerate of residents (for example, by not parking over driveways) and existing parking restrictions.

A dedicated Active Travel Officer will help introduce and support the School Street and the local community. Signs will be introduced to show where the School Street zone is and to inform motorists of the hours of operation. 

Restrictions will initially be enforced by Merseyside Police. NSL Services Limited provide parking enforcement on behalf of the council.

Wirral Council are working with each of the schools to introduce the School Streets scheme for a trial period of 18 months. As it is a trial, each of the School Streets will be reviewed throughout this time and if the trials are considered successful, Wirral Council will look to make the School Streets permanent.

The scheme will only operate during the week, Monday to Friday, during school drop-off and pick-up times. The restrictions will operate during term time only but please note that these dates may vary year on year.

The School Street scheme will be delivered through an Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO). We are inviting comments, questions, support for the scheme or objections (setting out your reasoning) to decide if the scheme should be made permanent.

Each of the School Streets will be trialled for 18 months. During the 18 months, the council will closely monitor the School Streets and listen to feedback and ideas shared to help us decide if it is working for each of the schools and their local communities and will achieve the goals of creating a calmer environment, reducing traffic build-up and improving air quality.

The Council were successful in securing funding from Department for Transport through the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority as part of Tranche 2 of the governments Active Travel Fund (ATF). The purpose of the fund is to implement measures that create an environment that is safer for both walking and cycling. In line with the funding criteria and with guidance from the Combined Authority three locations for school streets projects within Wirral were put forward for funding, subject to consultation. These schools include Liscard Primary, Greenleas Primary and Christ Church CE Primary.  In addition to these ATF schemes, additional school streets projects are being funded by the Combined Authority Transport Plan Capital Programme.

If you have another question, you can get in touch with the council by emailing schoolstreets@wirral.gov.uk

Entering the School Street zone without a valid exemption is classed as a prohibition of driving and could result in a £50 fine.

NSL (the Council’s parking contractor) will continue to enforce drivers who contravene parking restrictions.

Residents can apply for visitor permits, but where possible visitors should visit outside of the School Street operation times. 

If you haven’t received a letter, please email schoolstreets@wirral.gov.uk

Once you have applied for your permit, display it in your vehicle. 

If you live on the School Street, please inform visitors and family members of the restrictions so that visits can ideally be planned outside of the operating hours. 

Please share the details of the School Street with anyone who may collect your child(ren) from school. It is important that they are aware of the School Street zone to avoid receiving a fine. It will also help to alleviate any unnecessary stress or confusion on the day. We encourage as many people to walk, cycle or scoot on the ‘school run’ and have a dedicated Active Travel Officer working with the school. Where this isn’t possible, parking considerably and legally- a distance away from the school and walking (also known as Park and Stride) can help.