More Liverpool Schools set to help clear the air

The times when the School Streets restrictions are in operation for all the above are from 8.15am to 9.15am and from:- 2.30pm to 3.30pm during term time.

Automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) cameras will be used at these Schools to support enforcement of the restrictions however exemptions can apply.

School staff or parents who have a Blue Badge, or who need to drop off or pick up a child with SEND, can ask the School to apply for a camera exemption permit.

People who live on a School Street or someone who is a carer or a Blue Badge holder who regularly visits a resident on a School Street can apply for an exemption via the Council's website.

Various School Street measures are already in place at:- Mab Lane, Much Woolton Catholic, Greenbank, St Michael in the Hamlet, Rice Lane, and St Gregory's. These projects have shown that School Streets are effective in improving air quality by reducing congestion around the School site.

Monday's phasing in will help the Council achieve its objective of creating up to 50 School Streets over the next 4 years, as set out under Pillar 5 of the Council Plan; A well connected, sustainable and accessible City. Earlier this year, consultations were carried out at:- 20 further Schools and it is hoped that School Streets will be implemented at these in the next year.

Schools that are interested in a road near them becoming a School Street can contact:- SchoolStreets@Liverpool.Gov.UK.

Cllr Dan Barrington, Liverpool City Council's Cabinet Member for Transport and Connectivity, said:- "After the success of the 1st School Streets, I'm so pleased that the Council is able to support further Schools to make their communities safer. School Streets are a great example of the Council working with whole communities; Schools, parents and residents who live near the Schools; to make our environment safer and more pleasant for everyone. Schemes like School Streets succeed because the majority of people understand their value and pull together to make them work. I have every confidence that these new School Streets locations will bring improvements for everyone in the community."

Simon O'Brien, Liverpool City Region's Walking and Cycling Commissioner, said:- "There is nothing more important than the health of our children. So clean air and a feeling of calm around our Schools at drop off and pick up are vital to help the pupils grow and learn in a positive environment. Well done to Liverpool City Council for enabling more Schools to achieve these aims."
 

Major milestone for Liverpool Baltic Station as planning application goes live

PLANS for a new station in Liverpool's Baltic Triangle have reached a significant milestone after a planning application was submitted for the £100m scheme.

The Liverpool Baltic Station scheme is part of Mayor Steve Rotheram's vision to improve the public transport network across the Liverpool City Region; other projects include the new Mersey Ferry, St Helens Interchange redevelopment, bus franchising and rapid bus transit.

Additional rail schemes include the recent introduction of new, modern accessible trains and future plans for 3 new stations, at:- Daresbury (Halton), Woodchurch (Wirral) and Carr Mill (St Helens).

With the Combined Authority setting an ambitious target to make the City Region Net Zero by 2035, the station will help encourage people to get out of their cars and travel more by public transport as well as attract more people to this up-and-coming area.

Passenger benefits including:- step free access from pavement to train, modern facilities, toilets and secure storage for cycling are all part of the plans.

As part of the scheme, highways works will connect the station to surrounding areas and integrate with the City's expanding active travel network.

Steve Rotheram, Mayor of the Liverpool City Region said:- "For decades there were no new stations built on our network, so this is another major milestone in the development of the expansion of rail services in our Region. Liverpool Baltic Station isn't just about improving connectivity; it's about creating new opportunities, connecting our communities to jobs, education, and each other, and contributing to a healthier, greener Liverpool City Region. Investing almost £100 million at the heart of 1 of the UK's most vibrant areas, will help to make this part of the City more accessible to all while easing congestion and helping us achieve our net-zero targets. Liverpool Baltic is another step in our vision to build a fully integrated London-style transport system. We're extending Merseyrail to more communities with future stations already planned in Daresbury, Woodchurch, and Carr Mill. I believe good quality public transport is a right, not a privilege."

The aim is for construction will begin in 2025, with the Mayor pledging to have the station open by 2027.

Submission of the planning application follows significant support from a recent public consultation. The station, set to be located on Merseyrail's Northern Line, will serve 1 of the City's most dynamic districts, recently named the 11th coolest neighbourhood in the world by Time Out magazine.

The development builds on the success of the £80 million Headbolt Lane station, which opened in 2023, in Kirkby. This station is served by pioneering battery-powered trains which have brought about the 1st extension to the Merseyrail network in a generation, with further growth planned.

The scheme is being funded via the City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS), dedicated to major transport projects across the City Region. At last month's Combined Authority meeting, local leaders approved a new £96m funding package for the scheme, which paved the way for the planning application submission.

Alongside the station scheme, the Combined Authority is working on a number of other public transport projects, including:- the new Mersey Ferry, St Helens Interchange redevelopment, bus franchising and rapid bus transit, which will further help to develop our network.

For more information about the scheme, visit:- LiverpoolCityRegion-CA.Gov.UK.