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Welcome to School Streets North: 2026
School Streets are changing the face of the school run – improving safety, air quality, and children's wellbeing while helping local communities reclaim their streets.
Returning for its third edition, School Streets North is the UK's leading regional event dedicated to School Streets policy, delivery, and best practice.
Hosted by the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, this year's event brings together local authorities, campaigners, headteachers, transport planners, and active travel professionals to discuss how to expand and sustain School Street programmes across the North.
From early pilots to full-scale rollouts, delegates will explore what's working, what's next, and how School Streets can become a central part of healthier, more liveable neighbourhoods across the UK.
As School Streets continue to grow in popularity, new national guidance from Active Travel England and the Department for Transport is helping councils deliver more effective, evidence-led schemes.
School Streets North 2026 will highlight:
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The joint Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Pledge signed by England's Metro Mayors
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How to secure Active Travel England funding and deliver measurable outcomes
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Practical examples of community engagement, behaviour change and enforcement
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Real-world lessons from councils across the North who are implementing School Streets at scale
This is the must-attend event for anyone working to make school journeys safer, healthier, and more sustainable.
With one-third of peak-time traffic attributed to the school run, and with childhood obesity levels rising, the need for change has never been more urgent. Recent efforts in the North demonstrate the growing momentum behind School Streets, with local leaders keen to support communities in launching new schemes.
Join us in Liverpool on 13th May to be part of the movement making school travel safer, healthier and more sustainable for generations to come.
Key themes
At School Streets North 2026, expert speakers and practitioners will explore the full range of issues shaping the design and delivery of successful School Street schemes, including:
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Funding and partnerships
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Enforcement and monitoring
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Health, wellbeing, and air quality benefits
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Consultation and community engagement
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Infrastructure design and technology
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Data, evaluation, and impact measurement
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Integration with active travel and Healthy Neighbourhoods
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Behaviour change and travel planning
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Traffic management and safety
Through panel discussions, case studies, and interactive sessions, attendees will gain real-world insight into how School Streets are being delivered across the UK – and what's next for this fast-growing movement.
Who should attend
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Local authority officers and councillors
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Policymakers and campaigners
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School leaders and education professionals
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Active travel, road safety, and enforcement teams
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Urban designers and transport planners
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Consultants and researchers
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Technology and data providers
Why attend
School Streets are one of the simplest, most effective ways to make the journey to school safer and more enjoyable. Yet, despite their proven success, many areas are still struggling to scale up. School Streets North 2026 is your opportunity to:
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Learn directly from leading local authorities and national experts
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Understand funding pathways and the expectations of Active Travel England
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Explore real case studies from the Liverpool City Region and beyond
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Hear youth and community perspectives on behaviour change and inclusion
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Connect with peers who are driving forward the School Streets movement in the North
Recent monitoring by Active Travel England shows that School Streets typically cut car use for school journeys by up to half, with measurable improvements in air quality and child activity levels.
National surveys from Sustrans and YouGov show that more than four out of five people support School Streets, and most children say they'd prefer to walk, wheel or cycle to school if they could.
Attendee rates
Local authority free registration
*The first 50 places for Local Authorities are provided for free courtesy of our sponsors.
Please note this offer is limited to the first 2 delegates from your Local Authority. If you wish to send more, you will need to purchase a local authority ticket, priced at £145 + VAT. We encourage you to secure your place as soon as possible to avoid missing out.
Programme
Programme currently in development
09.00
Registration open
Tea & coffee served in the exhibition area
09.45
Welcome
Steve Rotheram, Mayor, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
10.00
Session 1: Making the pledge a reality
England's Metropolitan Mayors have signed a Joint Pledge on Walking, Wheeling and Cycling. This sets out the aims and how they can be achieved through education, engagement, health initiatives and enforcement. This session will consider the main obstacles and how they can be overcome.
Chair: Chris Harrison, Deputy Managing Director, Project Centre
Funding the pledge: Active Travel England on how to generate the funding needed to implement and maintain School Streets. Speaker TBC.
Update on Liverpool City Council's efforts to support School Streets. Do different schools need different strategies? When is a volunteer-based system better thanking cameras?
Liam Robinson, Leader, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
The Walkable Neighbourhood 2040 Playbook and Toolkit. Spotlight on the open source process being created to roll out school area improvements
Christopher Martin, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Urban Movement &
Patrick Moores, Senior Partner, Freshfield Foundation
School Streets make sense so why aren't there more of them?
Simon O'Brien, Active Travel Commissioner, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
11.15
Morning break
Tea & coffee served in the exhibition area
11.45
Session 2: Choose your track
Delegates to choose from 1 of 2.
A: Moving on up –
Secondary School Schemes
So far, efforts to install School Street schemes have largely focused on primary schools. However, there is a strong case for extending schemes to secondary schools. Besides benefits relating to safety and air quality, they could improve the health and wellbeing of all children. It would enhance the journey to and from school, and make it easier for students to switch to active travel. This, in turn, would lead to significant and lifelong changes to travel behaviour.
Chair: Claire Prospert, Regional Manager (North East), Active Travel England
The impact of active travel on older teenagers in Croxteth.
Dr Rebecca Geary, Senior Lecturer, University of Liverpool.
Sefton Secondary School on the challenges of becoming a School Street.
Helen Cumiskey, Principal Strategic Infrastructure Planner, Sefton Council and Sam Turner, School Neighbourhoods Officer, Sefton Council
Gender and social exclusion – making active travel accessible for all children
Speaker tbc
B: Enforcement & engagement
is there a case for using cameras from the outset to enforce School Streets? And, if so, how do you pay for it? Or would the use of volunteers be more likely to win support for a scheme? Can good engagement and strong local support negate the need for cameras? Or is enforcement a necessary requirement and, if so, what form should it take?
Chair: Rob Shoebridge, Group Manager, Traffic and Transportation, Derby City Council
Speakers include:
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Kerry Griffiths, Digital Engagement Manager, Derby City Council
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Paul Bowman, Coventry City Council
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Sarah Rogers, Project Centre
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EarthSense, Speaker TBC
13.00
Lunch break
Refreshments served in the exhibition area
14.00
Session 3: A multi-pronged approach to behaviour change
A fast-paced Pecha Kucha session showcasing innovation, creativity, and collaboration at the grassroots level.
Chair: Richard McGuckin, Executive Director for Place, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
How to encourage teenage girls to keep active
Justine Blomeley, Chief Executive Officer, Merseyside Sport
Building the case for Bike Buses
Robin Lovelace, Professor of Transport Data Science, University of Leeds
Park + Stride – a solution for parents travelling further distances
Jane Rickwood, Project Manager, Living Streets
How Modeshift inspectors are making an impact at grassroots level
Stephanie Lake, Modeshift STARS Programme Officer (Education)
Why are some schools more keen to embrace Bikeability than others? What needs to change?
Emily Cherry, Chief Executive, Bikeability
Examining the data
Jasper Alexander, Sustainability Consultant, Citisense
15.15
Afternoon break
Tea & coffee served in the exhibition area
15.45
Session 4: What difference do School Streets really make?
Do School Streets actually improve the quality of people's lives? If so, how? What impact do they have on a child's life experiences? Do School Streets encourage a sense of independence and freedom? How do we achieve road danger reduction? And once a street makes the transition from being car-dominant and dangerous to people-friendly and safe, will that change the way we interact with one another and the physical environment? Will it encourage community cohesion?
Chair: Simon O'Brien, Active Travel Commissioner, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Road Safety
Becky Guy, Senior Policy Manager, RoSPA
20's Plenty
Jeremy Leach, Director and Community Champion, 20's Plenty for Us
Behaviour Change
Jamie Furlong, Senior Research Fellow, University of Westminster
Engagement
Stephanie Rogers, Project Centre
17.00
Conference Close
Speakers
Steve Rotheram
Mayor
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Paul Bowman
Parking Manager
Parking Services
Coventry City Council
Liam Robinson
Leader
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Kerry Griffiths
Digital Engagement Manager
Derby City Council
Stephanie Lake
STARS Programme Officer (Education)
Modeshift
Jeremy Leach
Director and Community Champion
20's Plenty for Us
Becky Guy
Senior Policy Manager
RoSPA
Nick Chamberlin
Regional Engagement Manager
Active Travel England
Simon O'Brien
Active Travel Commissioner
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Richard McGuckin
Executive Director for Place
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority
Emily Cherry
Chief Executive
Bikeability
Dr Rebecca Geary
Senior Lecturer
University of Liverpool
Robin Lovelace
Professor
University of Leeds
Christopher Martin
Co-Founder and Managing Director
Urban Movement
Rob Shoebridge
Group Manager, Traffic and Transportation
Derby City Council
Jane Rickwood
Project Manager
Living Streets
Jasper Alexander
Sustainability Consultant
Citisense
Exhibition and supporter packages
Supporter Package
Includes:
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Company logo as 'supporter' on the event website, in all advertisements and communications (print and digital)
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Inclusion in the programme, with a speaker or session chair (to be discussed with Programme Manager)
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3m x 2m open space exhibition area supplied with table, chairs, wi-fi and power supply
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Company profile, including logo and 250 word profile on the event website
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Up to 5 delegate places for staff, colleagues and guest invitations
£3,000 + VAT
Headline Sponsor
Includes:
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Prominent logo placement on all event marketing materials (website, e-shots, event signage, social media)
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Feature as “Headline Sponsor” in all event communications and press releases
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Acknowledgement as Headline Sponsor during event opening and closing remarks
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Keynote presentation and opportunity to participate in a panel discussion
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Premium exhibition space at the event for direct engagement with delegates
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Logo featured on event holding slides and delegate packs
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Opportunity to contribute to a pre-event article or article featured on www.transportXtra.com and promoted on social media
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Company profile in event materials distributed to all delegates
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Acknowledgement on event social media channels with posts leading up to, during, and after the event
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Social media shout-outs and inclusion in event hashtags
POA
Secure your exhibiton stand!
To discuss exhibiting opportunities contact
Jason Conboy on: 020 7091 7895
Exhibition Floorplan
To discuss exhibiting opportunities at School Streets North 2026, contact Jason Conboy on:
020 7091 7895 or email: jason@landor.co.uk
Key:
Occupied
Available
Exhibitors include:
