Scheme at Badger Hill Primary does nothing to deter cars, say critics

The proposals include the use of bollards and fences on Crossways outside Badger Hill Primary to deter cars from parking on verges during the school run – and to control where parents and children cross the road.

But Andy D’Agorne, who was executive member for transport in 2022 when work to design the scheme – and another, similar one at Clifton Green primary - was originally approved, has criticised it as ‘a missed opportunity’ and a ‘fraud of a people-street plan’.

He said the proposals

• do very little to discourage cars
• force parents and children onto narrow road crossings, potentially creating a bottleneck.

He also points out that the council’s own transport policy manager says the proposed scheme ‘seems to miss the point of what a school street is supposed to be’.

Crossways, at the entrance to Badger Hill School - the area which would be covered by the new road safety scheme (Image: Google Street View)

The scheme – which, if approved, will be paid for out of a £200,000 pot of government active travel funding allocated for Badger hill school and a similar scheme at Clifton Green school - will go before current transport executive member Pete Kilbane at a decision session tomorrow.

But Mr D’Agorne, who lost his seat at the last council election, has called for a decision to be deferred.

He said £35k of the active travel money had already been ‘wasted’ on feasibility work which failed to ask the right questions.

He added: “I’m sure the executive member (Cllr Kilbane) is as deeply underwhelmed by this fraud of a ‘People Street’ plan as I am.

“Yes, I approved this work 18 months ago, but something must be seriously wrong for the scheme to reach this point with Transport staff in effect questioning the value of throwing good money after bad.”

The proposals submitted for approval tomorrow include:

• Replacing existing wooden bollards near the school entrance on Crossways with a larger number of new bollards to ‘prevent verge-side parking’
• Sections of low-level fencing around the school’s entrance to deter parents and children crossing the road except at certain controlled locations
• More road markings and ‘School: slow down’ signs
• Two trees planted on verges for ‘pedestrian amenity’.

Plan showing proposed siting of new bollards and fences next to Badger Hill School (Image: City of York Council)

A report recommending approval of the plans says the new signs and traffic calming measures will help prevent cars exceeding the 20mph speed limit.

It adds: “Preliminary work indicate(s) a high frequency of illegal parking near the Badger Hill Primary school entrance. The introduction of additional bollards, trees and fencing will help prevent this.”

But the proposals, estimated to cost £116,260 if the scheme goes ahead, drew some stinging criticism during a consultation.

The city council’s the city council’s own transport policy manager says: “The junction near the school entrance still looks more or less the same with only improved crossing points and a load of pencil-type bollards.

“It doesn’t really do much to discourage non-essential vehicles …so seems to miss the point of what a school street is supposed to be.”

Map showing site of new trees under planned road safety improvements outside Badger Hill School (Image: City of York Council)

In a separate comment, the council’s city transport planner adds the scheme seems to be more about restricting pedestrians than cars.

The council has already spent more than £26,000 on feasibility work on the scheme, and a further £8,500 on ‘internal costs’.