Mowbray Public School will shortly be undergoing a major rebuilding program with a large portion of the existing school buildings being demolished and rebuilt. This rebuilding is likely to begin in term 4 of this year. The school currently has a roll of 380 students and enrolments for 2015 are in the order of 400 children. As a consequence of the building program, access to the school (during the building work) will be limited to a path that exits onto Hatfield Street at the eastern end of the school grounds. Under the current plans this will be the only form of access to the school and the Principal has raised concerns about potential pedestrian safety concerns given the student, parent and preschoolers movements to and from he school onto Hatfield Street and the associated traffic movements. In addition, many unrestricted parking spaces in the vicinity of Mowbray Public School are being used as all day parking for those involved in the construction of apartment buildings on the opposite side of Mowbray Road from the school.

As part of the development, some parking changes have already been approved along both Mowbray Road and Hatfield Street with the installation of No Parking restrictions from 8.00 am – 9.30 am and 2.30 pm – 4.00 pm along the unrestricted section of Mowbray Road and along the school side of Hatfield Street. These No Parking restrictions will provide for Drop
off / Pick up zone with high turnover of vehicles.

One of the conditions of consent for the development at the school requires the developer to prepare and submit a Construction Traffic Management Plan. Although this plan has yet to be received, given that pedestrian access to the school during construction is to be restricted to Hatfield Street it is considered that a pedestrian crossing will almost certainly be required across Hatfield Street to provide for the safety of students. Consequently it is proposed that the developer be required to install a full pedestrian crossing with appropriate signage on Hatfield Street just north of the gate providing access to the school path (south of Farran Street). This crossing will be in place for the duration of the construction period (expected completion currently January 2016). Once works are completed ongoing approval for the crossing will be considered subject to compliance with the required warrants.

OFFICER’S RECOMMENDATION
That :
1. The Construction Traffic Management Plan (CTMP) for the Mowbray School expansion include a requirement for the introduction of a temporary pedestrian crossing on Hatfield Street.

2. The crossing to be installed at the developer’s cost and sited north of the school gate and south of Farran Street. The CTMP to include a dimensioned plan detailing the location of the crossing and associated signage and
linemarking in accordance with RMS technical directives.

3. The longer term retention of the pedestrian crossing to be reviewed by the Traffic Committee upon completion of the construction to ensure that it still meets the necessary warrant.