‘Schools-based congestion’ Community Engagement Brief
05/11/2019
Chadderton Central ward in Oldham has major issues with traffic congestion at school drop off and collection times. Local Councillors receive many letters of complaint and despite working with the police and schools on enforcement, there has been no sustained reduction in the congestion around the schools each morning and afternoon.
During 2019 a unique partnership of Oldham Councillors, Council Transport Policy Officers, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) and the Greater Manchester (GM) Moving Walking programme has worked with local schools to understand more about the issues and attitudes to walking and cycling among pupils and parents. The approach has focussed on Chadderton Central Ward as a place rather than the schools in isolation. The partnership is also exploring this issue using the principles of gaining community insight, involving the community in the co-production of solutions and seeking to learn what works from the approach.
There is now an opportunity for specialist support to provide capacity for community engagement around this issue. The brief is to work with local school children, parents, residents and the wider community around the issues of congestion in Chadderton Central ward. We seek a partner to explore attitudes, issues and potential solutions that could support a sustained shift in behaviour to reduce the number of cars around the schools at drop off and pick up times and increase the number of walking, cycling and scooting journeys.
We are seeking a partner to provide some capacity to work with 4 schools in Chadderton (2 primary and 2 secondary schools) and the community surrounding those schools on the issue of congestion in the area and attitudes to walking and cycling. All of the schools have given their support for the project and commitment to work with the appointed partner.
Oldham Council has prepared an application for programme entry to the Mayoral Challenge Fund for a new Beeway in this area to encourage more walking and cycling. This would form part of the GM Bee Network, and a decision from TfGM on whether this scheme has approval for development is due at the end of November 2019. The proposed scheme is for a quality walking and cycling route from the Rochdale Canal to Freehold Metrolink Stop. It would connect the new housing estate, improve the footpath between St. Lukes and Christ Church primary school and encourage year round walking across Crossley Playing Fields, something that is not currently possible in wet periods. If approved, community involvement with the development of the scheme will be key.
The new housing Development, Broadway Green, is being built on Foxdenton and major works on Broadway will reduce Broadway to single lane traffic for each direction at certain times of the project. The nature of the roadworks will be significant and may last longer than a year.
There is a concerted effort by Oldham Council and across Greater Manchester to improve air quality. Greater Manchester Moving and Greater Manchester Walking have campaigns to support walking as a means to get active (That Counts).
A unique partnership between ward Cllrs, schools, TfGM, Oldham Council and GM Walking the Chadderton has developed a brief for some community engagement work around congestion at school drop off and pick up times. We wish to commission some support to understand issues and attitudes and explore approaches to encourage more walking, cycling & scooting to school.
If you are interested, please return an outline of your approach to louise@gmmoving.co.uk by Monday 18th November.
We aim to appoint a partner by the end of November and hold an inception meeting between the appointed partner and the Chadderton partnership working on this issue during the first week in December.
If you have any questions or queries or need any clarification please contact louise@gmmoving.co.uk