How do School Safe Haven Zones work in Derby? The rules explained
New rules have been explained on who is and who is not allowed to enter several Derby roads amid thousands being fined for breaching them.
Derby City Council is looking at expanding its School Safe Haven Zone scheme and is seeking public opinion on another daily temporary road closure in the city.
There are more than a dozen of the zoned streets in Derby which prevent drivers from using certain roads during school-run times, both in the morning and afternoon. This is usually between 8.30am and 9.15am and between 2.30pm and 3.30pm but each road differs.
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The aim of these rules is to make it safer for children to get to and from school and reduce road pollution. Anyone caught entering a temporarily closed road risks being fined up to £70. But exemptions are allowed for certain motorists.
Over the last two years, almost 28,000 fines have been issued to Derby motorists, a Freedom of Information request has shown.
Recently taxi drivers claimed they were unable to pick up or drop off vulnerable or disabled people outside their homes because of the rules.
As part of its public consultation to make Sheridan Street in Sinfin a new School Safe Haven Zone, the council has published guidance on what the rules are. The consultation can be seen here – https://letstalk.derby.gov.uk/cottons-farm-primary-school-safe-haven-survey
The guidance says people living in the zones are exempt as long as they have a permit. Blue badge holders are also exempt as long as they are accessing properties within the zone.
But anyone living in the zone needing a tradesman or requiring a delivery during the school run may have a problem. The council says “vehicles driven by the following are not exempt to enter when the zone is operational: tradespeople, contractors, delivery people, visitors, parents, and school staff.” It means they may have to stop and park outside the zone and walk up to the property.
The council says the zones are only operational on days that schools are open, which accounts “for only about 50% of the calendar year”.
The current School Safe Haven Zones in Derby are: Redwood Road, Church Street, Thornhill Road, Bromley Street, Uplands Avenue, Vicarage Road, Reginald Street, St Albans Road, Oakleigh Avenue, Ismay Road, Reigate Drive, Finchley Avenue, Dover Street and Hastings Street.
The following is from a School Safe Haven Zone FAQs document published by the council.
Will School Safe Havens disadvantage blue badge holders?
“Blue badge holders are permitted access during the operational times, where they need to access properties within the zone. Any parents who have a Blue Badge for themselves or their children would be able to apply for an exemption, enabling them to continue to park near the school gate.”
Will cars already parked inside the zone when the restriction comes into effect be able to leave?
“Vehicles parked within the zone will be able to leave with care during the restriction. The restriction is not on parking but driving into the zone.”
Is it possible to make deliveries inside School Safe Haven zones?
“School Safe Havens only operate for a very limited window during the day, generally less than 2 hours in a 24-hour day. Whilst zones may interfere with a small number of deliveries, the short operating times mean the schemes provide adequate opportunity to reschedule these deliveries.
“Also, by keeping the physical zones as small as possible, it means that delivery drivers arriving during the closure periods would only have a short distance to walk if they parked on the periphery of the scheme.”
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Will residents have problems with deliveries?
“Residents will be able to apply for permits for vehicles registered at properties within the zone, so they can enter the zone at any time. Vehicles driven by the following are not exempt to enter when the SSHZ is operational: tradespeople, contractors, delivery people, visitors, parents, and school staff.
“If all these were given an exemption from the scheme, a reduction in traffic around the school would not be achieved. Residents can apply for a special exemption for a vehicle not registered at their address, where there is a caring responsibility dispensed by a family member, for example.”
What about emergency service access?
“In line with other schemes across the country the only exemptions to the restriction are:
✓ Emergency Services vehicles on an emergency call
✓ Vehicles registered to an address within the zone (including those of businesses and residents)
✓ Blue badge holders (dependent on need to access zone)
✓ Carers for vulnerable residents (dependent on need to access zone)
✓ Utility providers on emergency call.”
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