COUNCILLORS were unaware of major changes to shut two junctions to motorists, 24 hours a day.
Brighton and Hove City Council is introducing the next phase of the School Streets scheme and trialling new measures “to determine which model works best in the long term".
The scheme aims to to support physical distancing outside schools, promote active travel and make roads safer.
READ MORE: Junctions to be closed 24 hours a day outside two schools in Brighton and Hove
Included in the next phase of the scheme are measures to shut two junctions in the city to motorists completely - as well as road closures outside three schools during drop-off and pick-up hours.
Several Experimental Traffic Order documents on the council website show plans to close junctions between Somerhill Road and Lansdowne Road in Hove, near Brunswick Primary, and between Queen’s Park Rise and Queen’s Park Terrace, outside St Luke’s Primary.
These closures are set to come into force on Monday.
However, some councillors were found to be unaware of these plans when contacted by The Argus, including two representing Goldsmid ward, which covers Somerhill Road.
Cllr John Allcock and Cllr Jackie O’Quinn both said they did not think closing junctions at all times of the day had been included in the new trial measures.
Cllr O’Quinn expressed concern over the plans, describing the 24-hour closures as “overkill”.
Cllr Allcock said the School Streets scheme had previously worked well in Somerhill Road, and trialling closing the junction with Lansdowne Road would allow the council to see if it works and “identify any issues”.
A letter was sent out to parents at Brunswick Primary which states there will be "semi-permanent fixtures" in place at the junction between Lansdowne Road and Somerhill Road to prevent all motor vehicles from exiting and entering the street at that end "at all times".
The Argus spoke to residents in Somerhill Road who said they had not been informed about these plans.
SEE ALSO: Division over 24-hour junction closures in Brighton and Hove
Councillor Jamie Lloyd, deputy chairman of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, said the new restrictions will help solve the problem of having enough volunteers to run the School Streets scheme.
He told The Argus: “We were reliant on volunteers and temporary barriers to open the road up to pedestrians during the school pick-up and drop-off.
“To address these challenges, we are trying new methods to create streets which are more walking and cycle friendly, by restricting traffic at all times of the day.
“The six-month consultation period will give us the opportunity to assess whether this method works.”
A council spokesman said ward councillors had been informed of the road closures in an email detailing changes to the Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO), having been briefed earlier this year on the development of the School Streets project and the move towards "more physical" measures.
He said: “However, the legal wording of the ETRO means the information provided to councillors on the specific technical detail of the scheme and its impact could have been clearer.
“The Experimental Traffic Order allows for a full six month objection period, which is why the closure is being trialled in this way.”
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