As well as protecting school pupils from air pollution, Grove Street has been declared a “clean air route” with motor vehicles banned 24/7

Cllr Jewell visits the new Edmonton 'school street' — Cllr Jewell visits the new Edmonton ‘school street’

An Enfield Council project to reduce air pollution outside an Edmonton primary school has been officially launched.

The ‘school street’ along Grove Street, outside St John & St James Church of England Primary School, is designed to improve road safety and air quality. The project was delivered by Enfield Council to encourage people to make sustainable daily journeys “for themselves and for the planet”.

The work is part of a wider regeneration project around Fore Street, Angel Edmonton, that was funded through the Mayor of London’s Good Growth Fund.

The primary aim of school streets is to remove motor traffic from outside of school gates to improve air quality, make the public space more welcoming and provide opportunities for social interaction and children’s play.

But unlike other school streets in the borough that operate at set times from Monday to Friday during term time, the restrictions on Grove Street are permanent and will apply 24/7 throughout the year – with the council dubbing it a “clean air route”.

After visiting the street, Rick Jewell, the council’s cabinet member for environment, said: “We are creating a greener Enfield and tackling air pollution by introducing more school streets in the borough.

“School streets help make walking and cycling to school safer by cleaning up air around schools and stopping dangerous levels of traffic.

“We’ve delivered 19 school streets so far and will continue planning more in areas where they are needed the most. We will always work closely with parents and schools along with nearby residents as we progress the schemes in the near future.”

As part of the project, an active travel route between the junction of Grove Street with Fore Street and the railway overbridge at Joyce Avenue will improve accessibility and connectivity. The route will provide an opportunity for a potential future connection with Silver Street Station, Meridian Water and North Mid Hospital.

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