This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Home Zones Conference
09/02/2004
Home zones can improve the quality of life for communities by being developed around the needs of people not traffic, said Transport Minister Nicol Stephen.
Mr Stephen was attending the Home Zones Conference in Edinburgh where delegates learned about different approaches in designing, building and improving new housing developments, including the benefits home zones bring to local communities making them better places to live.
Home zones are residential areas designed to meet the needs of all road users equally. They incorporate people friendly residential streets with reduced vehicle speeds and integrated safety measures for children, pedestrians and cyclists. Pilot schemes are currently underway in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Thurso.
Speaking at the 'Better Places to Live' Scottish Homes Zones conference in Edinburgh, Mr Stephen said:
"The benefits of home zones include improving road safety, building strong communities and improving the quality of life in residential areas. It is vital that communities have a say on how home zones are set up in order that they reflect local needs and aspirations.
"Home zones offer tremendous opportunities for the future and open up a whole range of new lifestyle choices for the people of Scotland. They will develop neighbourhoods around the needs of people not traffic. They are residential areas where the streets are designed to be safer, look better and to have attractive places for children to play and people to meet."
Mr Stephen praised the work done so far by local authorities on pilot zones and said he felt there is great potential for a major expansion in new-build housing sector, incorporating home zone concepts.
"The new-build pilot scheme in Dundee has been highly successful. I hope that this will encourage and inspire new housing developments to follow Dundee's example in thinking differently to create well designed, pleasant places to live which cater to the needs of everyone involved in the area."
The conference has been arranged by the Home Zones Scotland Network.
The first four home zones in Scotland are being developed in the Tillydrone area of Aberdeen, the Caledonia area in Edinburgh, the Ormlie area of Thurso and the redevelopment of the former Royal Infirmary site in Dundee. Local authorities have various options for the funding of home zones, including the dedicated Cycling, Walking & Safer Streets allocation, and the £27 million allocation made last year for 20mph zones and similar schemes.
Similar home zone pilot programmes are being carried out in England by the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions. It has been envisaged that the two studies should complement each other.
The Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 allows local authorities to designate as home zones roads for which they are the traffic authority and allows Scottish Ministers to introduce Regulations outlining the procedures which local authorities must follow when setting up home zones. These Regulations came into force in May 2002.
Guidance has been published which local authorities should take into account when implementing home zones. Because situations vary across the country these Guidelines are not prescriptive but offer advice on a range of measures local authorities will take as appropriate.
Local authorities are asked to submit comments on the Guidance to the Scottish Executive before the end of 2004.