Traffic restriction plan at Pennyland school is 'not going to work', it is claimed
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A plan to restrict traffic around Pennyland primary in Thurso – as part of a Highland Council initiative – "has not been thought through" it has been argued.
Hilary McGlasson, whose elderly mother lives near the school, criticised the scheme when she spoke at this week's meeting of Thurso Community Council.
She claims the School Street Zone project, which is being piloted at four places in the Highlands, has little chance of being a success.
Mrs McGlasson, who worked in health and safety for over 15 years, claims there has been no consultation with residents over the scheme and stressed the first she knew about the proposal was when she read about in the local paper.
She said there are no details about the extent of the zone and how it will be monitored. "I would be interested to know what the overall objectives and outcomes are and how they plan to measure its success," she stated.
Highland Council has said the scheme will be monitored but Mrs McGlasson wants to know how that will be achieved and claimed staff at the school do not have the time or resources to do the task.
She says the speed bumps and the 20mph speed limit in the area are ignored by many motorists and does not think this initiative will be effective.
"It has good intentions but has not been thought through. People will just park somewhere else," she said.
Mrs McGlasson said Pennyland has had an extension to its nursery which means there is more traffic and children going back and fore during the day.
"There are no facilities to park there. It is just horrendous. They are trying to fix a problem that is not fixable and is not going to work," she added.
The School Street Zones pilot is to be introduced at four primaries in the Highlands to encourage pupils to walk or cycle to and from school.
The zones involve roads around a school being temporarily restricted to vehicles on each school day, during set times at the beginning and end of each weekday.
The council has said residents who live on the restricted roads are permitted to continue to use their vehicles, while access for emergency vehicles and utility companies is also permitted.
According to the local authority, the purpose of a School Street Zone is to remove or reduce the number of moving vehicles in the vicinity of a school to encourage active travel, reduce risks from traffic and tackle air pollution.
The pilot will take place at Duncan Forbes Primary and Bishop Eden Primary in Inverness, Kirkhill Primary near Beauly and Pennyland Primary in Thurso.
The council’s road safety and environmental health teams will work with the schools and pupils and air quality monitors will be installed at key locations. The results will allow schools to highlight to parents the benefits of a reduction in car usage, said the local authority.
The trial project is due to begin after the October holidays at Duncan Forbes Primary before being rolled out to the other three schools from January 2023 through to April 2024.
