A Lambeth councillor has urged Dulwich’s private schools to “get a grip” and take practical steps to reduce the congestion caused by parents’ cars.
Herne Hill and Loughborough ward councillor Jim Dickson named Dulwich College, Dulwich College Prep London, James Allen’s Girls School and Kingsdale as institutions that had failed to address the issue.
The headteacher of Kingsdale, Steve Morrison, has since hit back, saying that the school does promote sustainable travel to parents.
Dulwich residents have complained that, during term time, the junction at Norwood Road and Croxted Road is rammed with cars, causing congestion and pollution.
At a Herne Hill Hustings event, Jim Dickson said schools needed to “get a grip” and, speaking to the News, he doubled down on his statement.
Cllr Dickson said: ”It’s a question of anti-social behaviour because their use of private vehicles is causing a health problem and environmental hazard to residents in the local area.
“It would take a relatively small change in habits to start to make a big level of difference to the congestion we see in peak times.”
Cllr Dickson said he backed suggestions made by Sustainable School Run (SSR), an East Dulwich-based group of parents and locals advocating for reduced congestion and cleaner air.
SSR say, as non-catchment schools, Dulwich’s private school students are more likely to live further away from school.
They say that around 40% of pupils at schools in Dulwich & West Norwood attend non-catchment schools, and many of these will live too far away to consider cycling or walking every day.
They would like parents to use ‘HomeRun’, a digital platform enabling parents to connect with each other and organise car-sharing for their children.
Already backed by some Camden councillors, it collates anonymous travel data, helping schools to develop sustainable travel initiatives.
Headteacher Mr Morrison said the school already encourages parents to use HomeRun, and operates its own heavily-subsidised, non-profit bus service to and from the East Dulwich area.
SSR also want local authorities to instate parking restrictions around local schools.
They say the introduction of controlled parking zones and ‘no parking infrastructure’ would discourage parking near schools, reducing pollution and improving road safety.
https://www.southwarknews.co.uk/?post_type=news&p=54718&preview=true
SSR say data collected by TFL’s SCOOT system, a network of traffic lights using motion sensors to monitor traffic flow, demonstrates local schools’ significant contribution to local congestion.
They say data showed that, when private schools began half-term holidays on 18 October, average weekly vehicle flow immediately plummeted from 1,300 to 900.
By October 25, the vehicle flow had dropped to 800 and congestion percentage had fallen from over 26 to 12 per cent.
In response to Cllr Dickson’s statements, Steve Morrison, headteacher at Kingsdale Foundation School, said their own data on travel routes and modes to school indicated that “Kingsdale parent vehicles have a fairly negligible impact with respect to the East Dulwich area, if any measurable impact at all”.
He added that the school’s staggered start meant that most children start school after 9am, thereby missing the rush hour traffic.
He also pointed to the school’s “incredibly well used, huge” cycle storage capacity and the fact the school boasts a Sustainable Silver Travel Plan Award for their promotion of walking, cycling and public transport usage.
He concluded by saying Kingsdale remained “open to new ideas” and looked forward “to receiving the evidence based information at the heart of Cllr Dickson’s legitimate concerns”.
Schools in Dulwich are some of the best-performing in Southwark. Dulwich College charges parents of full boarders £45,000 a year.
The other schools mentioned have all been approached for comment.