School Streets junction closures come into force in Brighton and Hove

Brighton and Hove City Council confirmed the trial measures to shut junctions between Somerhill Road and Lansdowne Road in Hove, and between Queen's Park Rise and Queen's Park Terrace in Brighton, begin today.

READ MORE: Junctions to be closed 24 hours a day outside two schools in Brighton and Hove

Physical barriers will be installed over the next two weeks before pupils are due to go back to school on Monday, March 8.

The Somerhill Road junction with Lansdowne Road, Hove

The junction closures are being brought in through experimental traffic orders, which form part of the School Streets scheme to close roads outside Downs Junior School, Brunswick Primary School and St Luke’s Primary School.

Bollards will be placed at the Queen’s Park Terrace junction with Queen's Park Rise, and double yellow lines will be extended to give vehicles more space to turn around in Queen’s Park Rise and exit at the other end of the road.

READ MORE: Brighton and Hove councillors unaware of plans to shut two junctions

In Somerhill Road there will also be “semi-permanent fixtures” in place to prevent all motor vehicles from exiting and entering from Lansdowne Road.

Both junctions will only be accessible for pedestrians and cyclists at all times.

Diagram showing plans for the closure of the junction between Somerhill Road and Lansdowne Road in Hove

There will also a gate at the junction between Somerhill Road and Somerhill Avenue, to be manually operated during school drop-off and pick up hours.

In addition to the junction closures, during term time motorists will not be able to drive down Somerhill Road or Queen's Park Rise at all during drop-off and pick-up hours, between 8am and 10am and 2pm and 4pm.

SEE ALSO: Division over 24-hour junction closures in Brighton and Hove

Florence Place, outside Downs Infants School will also be closed at these times, as well as Grantham Road from the junction with Ditchling Road to the junction with Edburton Avenue.

A diagram showing the closure in Queen's Park Rise

The changes will be monitored and the public are encouraged to give feedback, the council said.

Launched in September, the School Streets scheme aimed to support physical distancing outside schools by reducing the street space vehicles occupy.

The scheme is also designed to encourage healthy, sustainable forms of travel and to make roads safer outside schools.

A council spokesman said: “The experimental traffic regulation orders came into effect on February 22.

One of the council's notices in Somerhill Road

“Semi-permanent measures are being installed at these junctions to make the roads safer and the restrictions clearer for road users and motorists.

“We hope they will be installed in time for the full return of pupils to school.”