The North Shottery Residents Association (NSRA) is launching “Take Back Our Pavements” (TBOP), a new community campaign aimed at drawing attention to the growing road safety, air pollution and quality-of-life problems affecting Shottery – particularly during school-run periods.
The campaign aligns with the beginning of the spring term at Stratford Girls’ Grammar School on Tuesdays 6, 13, 20 and 27 January.
On these dates, local residents will undertake a peaceful pavement presence opposite the school, between the school and the Bell Inn, during:
- 08:15–09:15 a.m.
- 15:15–16:15 p.m.
All participants will be on foot and will remain on the pavement at all times.
The aim is to highlight the increasingly hazardous environment created when cars and buses mount or encroach on pavements to bypass congestion – leaving pedestrians, including children, feeling unsafe in spaces meant for them.
Traffic Pressure, Pollution and Lost Public Space
Shottery’s narrow village lanes – much like Venice’s fragile canals overwhelmed by cruise ships – are under pressure from traffic volumes and vehicle sizes far beyond what they were ever designed to handle.
View a recent video shared on YouTube to witness the daily traffic chaos.
Residents report:
- Pavement incursions by cars and buses, forcing pedestrians to step aside
- Schoolchildren and elderly pedestrians feeling intimidated by traffic passing inches from them
- A sense that Shottery’s character is being eroded by excessive traffic
- Air pollution and elevated carbon emissions from queuing and idling vehicles
- Noise and fumes affecting residential amenity
Safer Routes to School and School Street Solutions
The NSRA strongly supports national Safer Routes to School principles, which encourage more children to walk or wheel to school – reducing traffic, improving student wellbeing, and cutting harmful emissions.
Across the UK, School Street schemes have proven highly effective. They temporarily restrict vehicle access outside schools at drop-off and pick-up times, creating:
- Cleaner air for pupils and residents
- Reduced road danger
- Encouragement of walking, cycling and active travel
- Healthier habits for families
- A calmer, safer environment around schools
NSRA believes that adopting similar, proactive measures in Shottery could greatly improve the daily school-run environment, benefiting students, residents and wider road users.
Campaign Materials and Visibility
To ensure visibility of the TBOP campaign, NSRA is preparing:
- 20 handheld sign boards, including
- “School Buses Out of Shottery”
- “End Shottery Traffic Chaos”
- 20 high-visibility tabards
- Laminated A3 signs for residents’ windows and property frontages
Community Safety Request
NSRA representatives have requested a police presence during the January demonstrations to ensure safety for residents, students and drivers, given past incidents of vehicles mounting pavements when traffic backs up.
NSRA Statement
“Shottery’s pavements should be safe for those who use them – most importantly our children and vulnerable residents,” an NSRA spokesperson said. “The level and size of traffic now passing through our village simply does not match the scale of these historic lanes. Like Venice grappling with cruise ships, Shottery is experiencing pressures that overwhelm its environment and diminish residents’ daily lives. Proven approaches such as Safer Routes to School and School Street schemes show that positive change is both possible and achievable. We want to work collaboratively to create safer walking routes, protect our shared spaces, and secure a cleaner, healthier future for the whole community.”
About NSRA
The North Shottery Residents Association represents households across the north of the ward and works to safeguard safety, environmental quality and wellbeing of the community. NSRA engages with Warwickshire Police, councillors and local partners to address issues affecting residents.
Contact
Richard Morgan, Chair
North Shottery Residents’ Association
E-mail: chair@north-shottery-ra.org.uk
Phone: 07890-304469