Lambeth Council plans to permanently close roads around a Streatham primary school during morning and evening pick up and drop-offs, after a successful trial.

The plans for roads around Immanuel and St Andrew CE primary school are expected make it safer for young people to walk, cycle and scoot to school and protect children from breathing in polluted air during their journey.

It follows a trial between March and July following concerns around road safety, rat-running and parking issues.

Lambeth Council deputy leader  with responsibility for environment and clean Air, Cllr Claire Holland, said: ‘’We want to protect our future generations from breathing in toxic air, which is known to cause serious health problems such as lung defects, breathing problems and cancer and put the infrastructure in place for them to walk, cycle and scoot safely.

“Having timed road closures around the school’s immediate surroundings means that children travelling to school will breathe in less toxic air and be able to do so more safely.

It’s important that we act now and urgently to start making positive change and realise how harmful pollution is to people living in our borough and in London as a whole,’’ she said.

While barriers are currently being used, the authority plans to use Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) cameras from October.

They will be at each of the three closure points on Northanger Road, at the junction with Westwell Road, Greyhound Lane and Buckleigh Road.

During these times access to the road will only be granted to blue badge holders and emergency vehicles.

The major threat to clean air comes from traffic emissions, with 40 per cent of the capitals air pollution coming from diesel vehicles, according to City Hall research.