LOCKDOWN and the period immediately after it will see Bradford Council trial more green travel schemes.

These will include making the roads around schools safer and rolling out more 20mph zones - according to the authority.

Clean Air Bradford, a community group dedicated to reducing pollution in the District, has called for the Council to implement "School Streets" around local primary schools to protect children, carers and teachers when children return to school.

School Streets is an initiative that sees the roads outside schools shut to traffic during school drop-off and pick-up times. As well as making the school run safer die to a lack of cars, the scheme also boosts the health of young people by reducing the amount of cars spewing out pollution at the school gates and encouraging families to walk to school rather than driving short distances.

Bradford Council has previously said it was looking at implementing School Streets, although he pace of this work has been criticised in the past.

Following Boris Johnson’s announcement on Sunday that schools would be reopening for some year groups, Clean Air Bradford wrote to the Council asking them to accelerate School Streets plans.

Lanes closed to cars and more 20mph zones - major changes to Bradford's streets planned to allow more social distancing

The Government also recently issued new guidance to Councils saying that it “expects local authorities to make significant changes to their road layouts to give more space to cyclists and pedestrians.” It specifically lists School Streets as a measure Councils can take to encourage more walking and cycling.

Anna Watson who has been campaigning on air pollution around schools said: “We need action to ensure that when schools re-open, parents are able to safely take their children to school maintaining social distances.

"Many roads outside schools are extremely busy and it will be difficult for parents to keep the two-metre rule unless more space around schools is made available for pedestrians.

“Implementing School Streets schemes where roads are closed to traffic outside schools, during drop off and pick up times would be the best way to ensure social distancing can be observed at busy times.

"It will also ensure that children are kept safe from road traffic dangers and health risks from air pollution.”

Councillor Alex Ross Shaw, portfolio holder for regeneration, planning and transport for Bradford Council, said: “Air pollution and traffic around schools is a serious issue for Bradford Council and the health of our children.

"This is why we established the Active Places group, working across different council departments, to improve air quality and tackle childhood obesity.

"It has already launched an anti-idling campaign outside schools and we have also introduced a number of 20mph zones around schools in the district, with another £140,000 approved in our budget to roll this out further and faster.

“The group is actively working on progressing Play Streets and School Streets looking at interventions including road space reallocation and staggering of school times with individual schools.

"The current situation also offers us the opportunity to trial more active travel initiatives in the district and look at requests from local communities and organisations like Clean Air Bradford to promote active travel to school and work.

"We’re already doing many of them, such as rolling out more 20mph zones, with the Shipley town centre scheme going live in the next couple of months, and working with partners through Capital of Cycling to loan bikes to key workers.

"Any measures which are introduced will need to be sustainable and, while the government have announced £250m in initial funding, they are yet to give guidance on how we can access it to improve the district.”