Millions towards safer and greener school travel

Added: 21/10/2008
Category: Norfolk County Council

Norfolk is on course to have spent over £7m in seven years on safer, greener and healthier journeys to schools in Norfolk, according to the County Council's Travel Plan team.

The £7m total will be passed thanks to confirmation that 84 Norfolk schools (full list in Notes for Editors) will be sharing £450,000 in extra funding from the Government for completing their school Travel Plans. The money will be used to support improvements and initiatives that encourage more sustainable travel such as walking, cycling, car sharing and catching the bus. More than half the 84 schools are installing new cycle storage, and around a third of them are providing pedestrian shelters.

The 84 schools are among the last tranche of schools in Norfolk* to complete School Travel Plans. Earlier this year Norfolk was the first county in the country to have a Travel Plan in place for every school. Many have already received and used their Travel Plan grants, but investment in safer and healthier journeys to school has also come through Norfolk County Council's direct programmes.

Adrian Gunson, Cabinet member for planning & transportation, said safer and healthier journeys to school were a high priority for the county council and many local communities: "The County Council has long recognised that this is a concern for parents, as well as many people who live near schools. Investment over seven years works out at over £1m a year, which is a measure of the importance we have attached to it.

"We have also established a dedicated team to work with schools on the development and, more important, implementation of Travel Plans. It is because of this that we are well ahead of the rest of the country.

"This year's Travel Plan grant means that over the last five years our travel plan work with schools has secured over £2.3m. Much of this has already been spent on improvements ranging from wellie racks and lockers to cycle storage and CCTV. We have already seen a fall of over 10% in the number of cars delivering or collecting a single pupil**.

"This has come on top of £4 million spent by the County Council since 2001 on footways, cycleways and crossings that make it easier and safer to get to and from schools. We are planning to spend a further £865,000 on another 32 schemes during this financial year."

Elizabeth Walne, Travel Plan Officer, was delighted the grant had been confirmed. "Whole school communities, including parents and children, have contributed and should be very proud of the work they have already put in. This funding will help them in their endeavors to reduce car use and congestion on the school run.”

She added: "We are continuing to support all schools across Norfolk with the implementation of their Travel Plans to build on their existing success. This term has seen the launch of Millipedes and Big Feet, the celebration of International Walk to School Week through our annual calendar competition and 'Walk The World' together with a special competition for High Schools called 'Do It Differently'."

A recent example of improvements that have resulted from the funding that has come with the completion of a School Travel Plan is at Litcham Primary School, where an additional length of footway and a new bus bay have been provided.