Controversial plan to close roads twice a day scrapped

A controversial scheme to close roads to traffic twice a day in part of Kent has been scrapped after opposition.

Locals claimed that plans to introduce a school street zone in Rochester would push traffic problems into nearby roads and increase the risk for pedestrians.

Following 242 objections and 10 letters of the support, the scheme for King's School has been dropped by Medway Council.

Instead, speed limits will be reduced to 20mph, and automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras will be installed to enforce existing School Keep Clear rules.

Lord Craig Mackinlay said that the scheme was not appropriate and would "affect all residents".

He said that the restrictions would have excluded private school pupils coming from further afield.

"It was madness and it would have been worse for child safety because they've had to park a long way away and walk across very busy roads to get to school," he added.

Mackinlay, who underwent a quadruple amputation in 2023, said that the scheme would have also made it difficult for him to be picked up from his home.

Medway Council dropped the proposal following a consultation in March.

Councillor Alex Paterson, portfolio holder for community safety, highways and enforcement, said that the school streets were the most effective way to improve safety.

"The onus is on the parents and the members of that school community who continue to park in a completely reckless and selfish way to stop doing so," he said.

"They can take the decision to make pupils safer."

It is the first time a suggested location has been withdrawn since school streets began in 2024, with 14 schools signing up across Medway, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Drivers face a £70 fine if they enter specific roads at the start or end of the school day.