A five-year project that aims to improve safety around schools is to start in Swindon.

School Safe Environment Zones (SSEZ) will be identified at the beginning of each of the five years and then various measures will be introduced to improve road safety around the schools in those areas including road signs, markings, speed limit changes, flashing lights, waiting restrictions and cycling facilities.

There will also be work on behavioural change with parents, pupils, staff and neighbours of these schools, which could include five-minute walk zones, Park ‘n’ Stride, anti-idling, air quality toolkits and pupil sign design competitions.

The design of each SSEZ will be bespoke to the characteristics and location of each school as well as the current behaviours of pupils and parents or carers.

An assessment has been completed across all schools in Swindon. Factors included concerns raised by parents, residents, councillors and schools themselves, as well as traffic collision data.

Work is due to start at the first school, Tregoze Primary School, this year.

At the end of each year, the remaining schools will be assessed and reviewed to identify the next batch to benefit from the scheme.

Cabinet member for highways, maintenance and waste services councillor Maureen Penny said: “For children of any age, the roads around schools present a potential danger, especially during busy times of the day.  As a council, our aim is to support schools in their efforts to mitigate these dangers. This scheme will implement physical measures at schools across Swindon that will help to protect pupils from the dangers of the road and will provide valuable knowledge to pupils to help keep themselves as safe as possible.”