Wirral Council will temporarily close stretches of road around some schools in the borough at drop-off and pick-up times next year.

It is just one part of the authority’s plan to tackle climate change in 2022.

Next year’s extension of the School Streets trial will see three more primary schools added to the trial which currently involves Greenleas Primary in Walllasey, Christchurch Primary in Birkenhead and Liscard Primary.

Overall, the trial will see a stretch of road outside six different schools in the borough closed to traffic for around an hour in the morning and an hour in the afternoon.

But there will be some exemptions, for example school buses and blue badge holders who live in the restricted area or are visiting someone who lives within it will be exempt.

Labour councillor Liz Grey, chair of the authority’s climate emergency, environment and transport committee, explained the impact this move might have.

Cllr Grey said: “The feedback we get from that [trial] will shape the rollout of it across the whole of Wirral, because we really want people to cycle, walk or scoot to school rather than [being driven to school].

“We’ve just got too much driving happening at the moment and it’s affecting everything, wellbeing, air quality, climate and road safety.”

In a desire to cut deaths and injuries on Wirral’s roads, as well as to cut emissions, Cllr Grey said the authority will push forward plans to bring in more 20mph zones next year.

She said: “This Vision Zero [the ambition to work towards zero deaths on the road] is that you build safer streets and safer infrastructure and you work with all the partners to make sure that we all learn to drive more safely, but while we’re driving, cycling, walking and scooting around we feel safe and we are safe.

“Part of this [means] we have to roll out 20mph [zones].”

Cllr Grey continued: “We are also working on some projects for quiet neighbourhoods.

“We’re in the final planning stages now for several [of these areas], which will mean you can’t use residential roads as cut-throughs, you bring the speed level right down and introduce all kinds of measures, signage and physical barriers [for instance] to stop people from driving too fast.”

Cllr Grey said this would open up residential areas for people to play, walk, cycle and be safe.

It is hoped that along with plans for a Birkenhead to New Brighton cycle route, which is going through consultation at the moment, this will make forms of ‘active travel’ such as cycling safer.

One of Wirral’s more controversial green efforts this year has been ‘rewilding’, which has seen the council allow grass to grow long in certain areas it used to cut regularly.

On this, the Labour councillor said: “In some areas, some roundabouts and some grass verges and open spaces we are actively planting native species of what we call wildflowers, but obviously we’re planting them.

“Hopefully it will make the place look attractive as well, instead of [areas having] just bland, boring grass.”

On letting grass grow in some areas, she added: “We’ve had loads of really positive feedback, we’ve had a few people wanting to go back to the way it was, but we’ve had loads of positive feedback about long grass and rewilding.

“It’s really important that we do it with residents and don’t just do it at them. They’ve got to feed into this so that they know what’s going on.”

Discussing what happens when residents or councillors object, Cllr Grey continued: “The response is, find us an alternative and we’ll happily investigate.

“If we’re doing it just because we’re looking for a plot to rewild or we’re looking to save money perhaps on mowing costs, where residents have said ‘well that patch of land isn’t suitable because our kids kick footballs around there’ [for example] and say ‘what about this patch instead’ we have accommodated it.”

But the Bidston and St James councillor said the council cannot just mow everywhere, and added: “For budget reasons and environmental reasons we’ve pledged that we will rewild some areas.”

There are also major plans on trees for 2022. Cllr Grey said at least 21,000 trees will be planted next year.