FAQs
School Streets FAQs
- your name and your child’s name
- vehicle registration number
- the school your child attends
- whether you are a blue badge or EHCP holder.
What are 'School Street' resident only access restrictions?
Resident only access restrictions (“School Streets”) restrict access to a road or road(s) around a school’s access at school start and finish times, Monday - Friday. Typically, they cover a period of 1 hour in the morning (e.g. 8.15 – 9.15am) and 1 hour in the afternoon (e.g. 2.45 – 3.45pm). The specific times of a particular restriction are set out on signs as you enter the School Street.
During these times, only pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles registered by residents and their visitors are permitted to enter the road(s). School staff in Hounslow can be exempted by contacting SchoolStreets@hounslow.gov.uk from a valid school email address with their vehicle registration and place of work. Any other vehicle entering would receive a penalty charge notice (PCN). There is no impact on traffic leaving the road(s) during the hours of operation – vehicles can therefore leave the road at any time without receiving a PCN.
Residents can register their own and their visitors' vehicles free of charge.
The restrictions will be enforced by the Council through the use of CCTV, which could be either mobile or fixed cameras.
Do School Streets operate all year?
Access restrictions operate Monday - Friday during term time and red route controls operate all year round. “School term time” means those days of the year which have been determined as school days by the Council as Local Education Authority in accordance with Section 21 of the Education (No.2) Act 1986. A full list of dates can be found here. Please note that academies, foundation and voluntary aided schools set their own dates. For term dates for individual schools, we recommend contacting the school or visiting their website.
Does my CPZ permit cover access to a School Street?
Sometimes, School Streets will fall within a CPZ (Controlled Parking Zone).
Where this is the case, it should be noted that any CPZ permit(s) and/or visitor permit(s) you may hold do not cover access to the School Street.
Registration for a School Street exemption is separate, and it will be necessary to complete the registration process as set out in the “What are School Street resident only access restrictions?” section above.
Further detail on CPZs and how to obtain a permit is available here.
What if you are expecting visitors during hours of restriction?
If you are expecting a visitor during the hours or restriction, you would ideally register them in advance using an online form. Should this not be possible, you can register them with us until the end of the same day. Regular visitors such as carers would need to be registered once, and blue badge holders living in the area would also need to be registered.
While the need to register vehicles presents a slight inconvenience to residents, we have streamlined the process as much as possible, and made it free of charge. Feedback from existing schemes suggests the benefits greatly outweigh any inconvenience.
What about deliveries and builders?
Easily recognisable delivery vehicles (e.g. supermarket lorries) are excluded from PCN action, and do not need to be registered as they are easily identified by CCTV cameras.
All other deliveries will need to be registered by the resident as set out in the “What if you are expecting visitors during hours of restriction?” section above.
In the event that a delivery driver received a PCN, this can be challenged with evidence that a delivery was taking place at the time and the fine will be cancelled.
For access by tradespeople, it will still be possible to enter the restricted area before the start time and leave the road at any time.
What if I or my child has a blue badge?
Although the purpose of such schemes is to remove non-resident vehicle access to the area close to a school, we recognise that for some parents, carers and pupils, disabilities or health conditions mean it is not always possible to use other forms of transport. Pupils with an Education, Health and Care (EHC) plan, holders of blue badges can therefore apply for an exemption which will allow them access to the School Streets Zone at all times without penalty.
To apply, please email us at SchoolStreets@hounslow.gov.uk with the following:
You do not have to be a Hounslow resident to apply, however Blue Badge holders will have to provide their badge number so this can be verified accordingly with the Blue Badge team. If your child has an EHCP, we will have to confirm this with the School they attend.
What are red route restrictions?
Red Route controls are already used on roads like Syon Lane, Wood Lane and the A4 - placing strict limitations on parking and stopping for most vehicles. There are limited exceptions to allow taxis and vehicles displaying a valid Blue Badge to stop on red routes for the purposes of picking up/dropping off a disabled person.
As with School Streets, these controls can be enforced by CCTV, unlike most other parking restrictions such as yellow lines.
Like yellow lines, Red Route restrictions can take the form of a double red line ("no stopping at any time") or a single red line enforceable during the times shown on a nearby sign.
Unlike School Streets, red route controls operate all year round.