home zones

Envolve and Bath and North East Somerset Council are working together on a pilot Home Zone scheme in the Bath area. The scheme is funded by the Department of Transport and represent one of the 60 schemes currently being piloted across the UK.

A Home Zone is a residential area in which road space is shared equally between motorists and other road users, with the wider needs of residents in mind. This includes pedestrians, cyclists, children, the elderly and disabled.

Home Zone schemes aim to improve the quality of life in residential streets by changing expectations of vehicle use and the way that residential streets are used, e.g. by changing road lay-out to create a 'shared surface' and blur sight lines and by adding street furniture/planting to improve lighting and facilities for shared use.

Another aspect of the Home Zone principle is to promote the use of public transport and encourage schemes such as 'Safe Routes To School' and 'Car Clubs'.

The concept originated in the Netherlands in the late 1960's and is now an accepted success story on the continent.
It is hoped that the pilot schemes now being undertaken across the U.K. will meet with similar success and eventually result in the approach being officially adopted over here.

Albert and Frederick Avenues, Peasedown St. John

The new lighting for Albert and Frederick Avenues has now been installed and has been very well received by residents, who have already commented on how they feel safer walking to visit neighbours after dark.

Recent consultation about new parking areas for the Avenues showed many residents wanted more parking spaces. Work on extra parking is now in hand, with work schedules soon to be announced. Meanwhile, plans for resurfacing roads and installing traffic calming features are also underway. ‘Vehicle’ &’pedestrian’ priority areas and parking bays will all look different, with a choice of colours and textures. This will help to introduce the Home Zone concept of ‘shared space’, where roads and pavements are all on one level. The revised proposals for the Home Zone design will be available shortly.

In addition, the project was successful in it’s bid for funding for three part-time play workers, to work in the area for a year. The allocation of £35,000 from the 'Better Play' organisation provides three play workers to work with disabled children, on raising awareness with able bodied children and liaison with the adult community. Their work l emphasises ‘inclusive play‘ and children's involvement in the Home Zone. Their work is already underpinning the success of the Home Zone project by addressing complex issues including available green space and lack of diversions for local children, with next moves to include involvement with development of the central green space as a community amenity.