home zones

An idea to improve safety in local neighbourhoods, the Home Zone is a concept where vehicles and pedestrians share the available space. The idea has been around for some time, yet has only been introduced to the UK in the past few years.

From a small number back in 1999, there are now over 100 schemes across the country, with more being introduced at a steady rate. in many areas, the idea has been pivotal to improving social wellbeing and community life, as well as helping with the regeneration of deprived areas.

Ideas Behind the Scheme

The idea behind the Home Zone is to create an area where people can move around freely. It is derived from the Dutch system of woonerf, roughly translated as "living yard", which has been in place in the Netherlands since 1969. The principle is simple - remove the kerbs, so that the road and pavement areas are integrated into one level. It has proven to be so popular, the idea has been introduced in Germany, Sweden, Denmark, France and Switzerland.

By removing the kerbs and creating a single "shared" space, the aim is to encourage motorists to drive more slowly - generally at a crawl - and also make the street or neighbourhood a more pleasant place to live or play. They are designed so they are no longer seen as simply being a "thoroughfare", removing the likelihood of the roads being used as rat-runs, and make drivers be more considerate to their environs and towards other people.

Motorists are advised that they are entering the Home Zone through the use of signage, similar to the sign shown above. A similar sign is used at the exit to the Home Zone, the difference being a red diagonal line through the sign (similar to an end of motorway sign).

The Go Ahead

The government gave the go-ahead for the first pilot schemes in 1999, introduced across England and Wales. These were located in:
- Cavell Way, Swale, Kent
- Clifton, Nottingham
- Five Roads Forum, West Ealing, London
- Lambeth, South London
- Magor Village, Monmouthshire
- Morice Town, Plymouth
- New England, Peterborough
- Northmoor, Longsight, Manchester
- The Methleys, Leeds

Four similar projects were given the thumbs-up in Scotland a short time later.

The schemes were put forward by local councils that were keen to see urban street use developed using alternative ideas, over and above the benefits normally seen with 20mph zones. One vital key to the success of the Home Zones would be the involvement of local residents in the design and development of the scheme.

However, the government gave no funding to the pilot schemes - instead they monitored the impact of the schemes to see if they succeeded with improving the social benefits of local community life. Early indications showed this was the case and that the communities involved did indeed come together. As a result, the then Prime Minister, Tony Blair, pledged £30 million in 2001 to see the Home Zone concept widened to other areas of the UK.

By October 2001, some 237 schemes worth a total of £115 million were submitted by 110 English local councils. 61 schemes were given the go-ahead, the government's choices been announced in the following January, with a target for completion by Spring 2005. There were many different ideas, however all had a common goal - improving community life.

Blueprints

Well, really, there are none. There is no set rule on how Home Zones must be designed. Each scheme is individually designed and tailor made to suit the individual requirements of the people in each area. That's not just the residents, although they are the most important stakeholder in the scheme, but the local emergency services and utility companies need to be consulted too.

In Dover, the design of a Home Zone there had to be amended as the fire brigade was not happy with the lack of carriageway as they felt their officers may not be able to easily access their equipment from the side of their vehicles. The scheme was eventually abandoned as the changes would have reduced the availability of parking, and that was a key requirement from the residents.

Yet, the schemes come in all sorts of shapes and colours - from tarmac to brickwork, benches to flowers, even the style of street lighting is taken into consideration. In Nottingham, the council there held a mini-roadshow to allow residents to pick their preferred materials and lighting.

In some areas, the distinction between footways and carriageway had to be maintained, as that's what residents wanted. Some communities wanted to see "proper" traffic calming, whereas in other areas, a complete amalgamation of roadway and footway was desired. A few areas decided they wanted a mixture of the two!

Even the layout of the street is carefully considered. Dummy runs are conducted, with the council creating a mock-up of the final design using bollards and barriers, or in some cases simply marking out parking spaces with paint. In many areas, this was a crucial point as it gave people not already involved the chance to air their views.

Once It's built

Once the locals, council, utility companies and emergency services have given their approval to the scheme, the most important phase can begin - construction.

But what about when the work is done? Its not just a case of community spirits, but safety has to be considered too. Here are some facts that have been attained:

Out of the 61 home zones approved in 2001, over half have reported a reduction of average speed to below 10-15mph

A scheme in Southampton reported the average speed fell to 6mph!

Manchester City Council and the London Borough of Camden reported a 60% fall in traffic levels in their scheme areas.

Even crime has fallen in some areas - the Morice Town Home Zone in Plymouth saw a 90% reduction in recorded crime within two years.

Quiet Lanes - The Rural Equivalent

In rural areas, a similar scheme has been developed by the Countryside Agency, with the government's full support. In a similar manner to Home Zones, the Quiet Lanes are developed as a road for shared use by motorists, pedestrians, cyclists and horse riders.

This scheme was originally trialled in Kent and Norfolk, whereby narrow, windy lanes were considered as these would have low average speeds and little traffic (government guidelines stipulated less that 1000 vehicles per day).This scheme has since developed beyond the Countryside Agency, with local authorities introducing their own Quiet Lanes.