School Streets

What is a school street?

School Streets transform roads outside schools by preventing unauthorised vehicles from accessing the street at school start and finish times, allowing more space to be given over to children and families. They have many benefits including improved road safety, encouraging healthier lifestyles including fewer school trips by car, and reducing traffic congestion.

Why is there a school street on Northfold Road and Eastcourt Road?

School run congestion was particularly bad around the entrance to the Overdale Schools on Eastcourt Road. Whilst 50% of the children at Overdale Junior School and over 60% at Overdale Infant School walked to school, there were still over 200 cars arriving at the schools at school run times.

The Council received many complaints about the congestion and poor parking in these streets.

Following conversations with the schools and the local residents, in 2022, the most popular solution to the congestion is to introduce a Schools Street on the entire length of Northfold Road and Eastcourt Road.

An experimental traffic regulation order was put in place in February of 2022 to enable a trial school street, and local people were encouraged to feedback on the experiment.  In August 2023, the traffic regulation order was made permanent.

Why are we proposing to enforce the school street on Northfold Road and Eastcourt Road with a camera?

The school street operated as a ‘Courtesy Only’ School Street, and in the two years since introduction there has been an increase in the number of parents driving into the zone despite the restriction. Officers have attended where possible to reinforce the closure, but cannot be present every school day.

Both the Head Teachers of the school and a number of residents and parents have asked for the school street to be enforced.

Parents were surveyed in June 2022. 85% said they strongly supported the reduction of traffic outside school, 15% said that they partially supported it.

On the 31st of May 2022, the Secretary of State for Transport, made a Statutory Instrument (Order) that allows local traffic authorities outside London, to apply to Government for the power to enforce against specific banned manoeuvres by the use of traffic enforcement camera technology. The cameras capture the licence plate of vehicles breaching the restriction, and issue a fine to the registered keeper.

What times does the school street operate?

The camera will be active between the hours of 8 – 9am and 2.30 – 4pm Monday to Friday during term time.

That means that if you drive past the sign and in to the school street, during these times, you will receive a fine. 

If you are already parked within the school street and drive out, you will not receive a fine. 

Outside of these hours, access to the street will be unrestricted. Following some concerns raised in the camera enforcement consultation, these operating hours will be monitored and if an amendment is required, this will be consulted on separately. 

How will the camera enforce the school street?

Cameras would be positioned to capture only the registration plates of vehicles entering Eastcourt Road and Northfold Road. The cameras would be mounted on lamp columns on Kingsmead Road and Overdale Road.

A ‘Warning Notice’ will be served in the first six months from enforcement starting. Within this period, the first time a vehicle is captured driving into the school street will result in a warning notice being issued. If the vehicle enters the school street during the hours of operation at any point after this, they will be served with a Penalty Charge Notice.

After the six-month period has elapsed, vehicles will be fined for all entries into the school street – regardless of whether it is a first offence.

The Penalty Charge Notice will be served by post and would be at full charge £70, reducing to £35 if it is paid within 21 days. A representation can be made within 28 days. If no payment or representation is received then the customer would receive a charge certificate set at £105.

Who is exempt from the school street?

The purpose of a school street is to reduce the number of vehicles entering a street at school run times to improve road safety for children, however we acknowledge that there are vehicles that should be exempt from the restrictions.

Exempt vehicles would have their registration plate added to the virtual exemption (Whitelist) and would not be issued with a warning or a penalty charge notice.

Even if a vehicle is exempt, it is important to try to avoid driving in the school street at the restriction times to improve road safety for pupils travelling to the schools.

Our proposed exemptions are below:

The following vehicles would be automatically exempt:

• Emergency services
• Statutory undertakers
• Local authority in pursuance of statutory powers, including refuse collection
• Exemptions stated in the Highway Code, such as a medical emergency or with the permission or at the direction of a police officer
• Any vehicle parked within the school street when it comes into operation and subsequently wishing to exit the School Street
• Liveried Royal Mail vehicles delivering or collecting mail or parcels

An exemption may be issued to:

• Residents who live within the School Street
• Businesses with premises within the School Street
• Blue Badge (disabled) holders that require access to the street during the restricted hours
• School buses and vehicles used in the transport of children or adults with special access requirements
• Medical practitioners and carers attending those with an address within the School Street

Vehicles that would not be exempt, and would therefore be fined if they enter the school street during hours of operation, include:

• Parents of children at the school
• Visitors to addresses within the school street. It is the vehicle owner that will receive the fine and their responsibility to appeal any fine
• Deliveries to addresses within the school street. It is the delivery company that will receive the fine and their responsibility to appeal any fine 

How do I apply for an exemption?

There is no cost to apply for an exemption.

Exemption requests should be emailed to  parkingpermits@leicester.gov.uk with scans or photographs of the following documents:

If you are unable to email copies of the documents, please visit City Hall, 115 Charles Street, Leicester, LE1 1FZ (10am – 12 and 2 – 4pm, Mon – Fri) with the documents. At the reception desk, ask for the parking enforcement team and they will photocopy the documents for you.

If you are a resident or business within the School Street, you will need to provide a copy of:

Proof of vehicle ownership

• A copy of your Vehicle Log Book (known as the V5C)
• If you lease you car for example through your employment/business or the mobility lease scheme. Proof of lease or Motability Lease (document must show the registration mark)

And Proof of address

• A copy of a recent bank or council tax statement.

Blue Badge (disabled) holders that require access to the street during the restricted hours

• If a resident or business with a blue badge and nominating a vehicle that is not registered at your address, e.g. a regular carer, send a copy of the BACK of your Blue Badge, along with your proof of address.
• If you are a Blue Badge holder who does not live or work in the school street, send a copy of the BACK of the Blue Badge and summarise the reasons for access. E.g. my daughter attends this school and has a blue badge OR I am a blue badge holder visiting a property within the School Street.

Medical practitioners and carers regularly attending those with an address within the School Street

• Letter showing name and address of practice/or care company and proof of resident’s address e.g. copy of a recent bank or council tax statement of the resident and a copy of the care plan.
• Medical Practitioners and Carers who are not regular visitors to a household within the school street, should be asked to avoid school street times, or park outside of the restriction.   If driving to the property during the school street times is unavoidable, for example in an emergency, medical practitioners and carers will be able to appeal their fine by submitting evidence of their caring role e.g. a care plan. Carers that need to visit properties due to scheduled hours would need to evidence that it was scheduled within the school street operating hours.

If you are unable to email copies of the documents, we will ask you to visit City Hall with the documents. At the reception desk, ask for the parking enforcement team and they will photocopy the documents for you.

A key purpose of the trial is to ensure that our exemptions are fair and proportionate.

Vehicles not exempt:

Vehicles that are not exempted, will be fined if they enter the school street during hours of operation, include:

• Parents of children at the school.
• Visitors to addresses within the school street. It is the vehicle owner that will receive the fine and their responsibility to appeal any fine.
• Deliveries to addresses within the school street. (except Royal Mail vehicles).  It is the delivery company that will receive the fine and their responsibility to appeal any fine.

Renewing exemptions

Exemptions will be automatically renewed for three years. The list of exempt vehicles will be reviewed every 3 years, at which time you would be asked to provide new evidence. This provides protection against the Council holding vehicle registration data for longer than is required.

Change of vehicle

If vehicles are changed, drivers of the exempt vehicles would need to transfer the exemption to the new vehicle by emailing and telling us you have changed your vehicle. We would require copies of the new Vehicle Logbook (known as the V5C) or lease documents. If you fail to do this, you will be issued a penalty charge notice, if you contravene the restriction.

Change of address

If you are moving house, please inform the new occupier that they will need to email parkingpermits@leicester.gov.uk with the following documents:

Proof of vehicle ownership

• A copy of your Vehicle Logbook (known as the V5C)
• If you lease your car for example through your employment/business or the mobility lease scheme. Proof of lease or Motability Lease (document must show the registration mark)

And proof of address

• A copy of a recent bank or council tax statement

What do I do if I get a penalty charge notice?

Details of how to pay will be detailed on the penalty charge notice that you will receive in the post, along with details of how to appeal.

Can I appeal the penalty charge notice?

If you have received a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) and you wish to challenge the PCN, you can make a representation by emailing leicesterble@leicester.gov.uk. You will need to provide your LG reference number which will be stated on the PCN letter which you will receive through the post, and state your reasons as to why you are making a representation. 

How will visitors/delivery drivers know about the school street?

Signs are already in place clearly stating the times of operation. We suggest that you inform visitors or delivery companies of the school street hours.

How will we measure success?

We will undertake a series of monitoring activities to understand the impact of introducing the cameras to the School Street. Data will be collected before and after the delivery of the School Street camera to assess whether there has been an improvement outside the school.  

What do I do if I need the information translating?

Please email transportstrategyenquiries@leicester.gov.uk detailing the language in which you need the information translating.