Environment minister Peter Sirett and Education minister Carol Steere outside the new schools at Les Nicolles. (Picture by Adrian Miller, 0582401)

ROADS around the new schools at Les Nicolles will be one-way. This follows the new Environment board yesterday overturning the decision of its predecessor.

It said it had acted swiftly to ensure pupils’ safety when the mainstream and special-needs secondary schools open in September. How the one-way system will operate should be announced in two weeks’ time, after further consultation with the emergency services. The previous board baulked at introducing a one-way, which its experts had advised. It instead announced that it would create a pedestrian safety zone with painted pavements, signs and reduced speed limits.

‘We realised that with Education acting on a fixed timescale, the schools had to open in September. Time was running out for traffic measures to be put in place and a quick decision needed to be made,’ said new Environment minister Peter Sirett. ‘I can’t comment on why the previous board wanted it kept two-way, but I believe on matters of traffic you listen to the experts – I’m a politician, not a traffic planner.’