This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
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.