St. John the Evangelist, Kidsgrove, Staffordshire

Engie had submitted a planning application on behalf of the DfE for the relocation of St John The Evangelist RC Academy to the site of St John The Evangelist RC Primary in Kidderminster, Staffordshire.

Staffordshire County Council, the local highway authority, raised a number of points of objection to the proposals mainly regarding road safety in the area. We were therefore commissioned by Engie to develop a road safety scheme that overcame the highway authority objections.

The scheme adopted the concept of defensible space to provide a safe area outside of the school that is largely free of parked cars to enhance pedestrian-vehicle intervisibility and reduce conflict.

This was achieved by the use of a new raised zebra crossing, use of vis-rail and bollards to secure the defensible space by physically restricting parking in key locations, provision of a half layby and widened footway on the site side to provide a safer parking arrangement and the introduction of a ‘School 20mph zone’

This scheme was approved by the highway authority and the formal objections were removed.