Council seeking views on healthier ways of travelling to school

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The authority agreed at a cabinet meeting last week to consult on its sustainable modes of travel to school (Smots) strategy for six weeks, starting on Thursday, 15th February.

The document sets out how the council can support schools to promote healthier and more active travel and reduce congestion on local roads, improve air quality and road safety.

Cheshire East is encouraging schools and colleges to have a travel plan – a document which sets out the measures and initiatives they will use to reduce car journeys and promote other ways of getting to school in safer, healthier and more environmentally-sustainable ways.

The sustainable modes of travel to school strategy was prepared following a review of school travel plans and found the following issues:

• Cars parking on both sides of the road outside the school, limiting visibility for pedestrians;

• Inappropriate vehicle speeds outside school and in the surrounding area;

• Limited footpaths on non-designated available walking routes to school; and

• Lack of suitable, secure cycle-parking spaces.

Frank Jordan, executive director of place at Cheshire East Council, said: "Our draft Smots strategy identifies current travel patterns and the barriers parents encounter when they want to travel in a more sustainable way. It proposes a range of mechanisms and support from the Council to help schools address these barriers.

"Before adopting the strategy, we are asking for comments and feedback to find out if schools and residents and our partners agree with the document's aims and content."

The consultation opens on Thursday, 15th February and closes on 29th March. For more details and to complete the online survey, visit: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/consultations, email: [email protected] or ring 0300 123 5500.

Tags:
Cheshire East Council
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Comments

Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.

James MacDonald
Wednesday 14th February 2018 at 11:22 pm
Start with reviewing the word 'pavement' in the dictionary: "a raised paved or asphalted path for pedestrians at the side of a road."

1) Prosecute all drivers that drive / park on pavements.
2) Ensure shrubbery is cut back to the boundaries both in terms of depth and height so you don't have to duck under branches and can hold an umbrella above your head when it is raining.
3) Maintain pavements to ensure they are even and gritted when icy.
4) Invest in cycle paths but with some thought on safety, and not just to tick boxes. e.g DO NOT paint a line on a pavement and think there you go we've provided a cycle lane.
DELETED ACCOUNT
Thursday 15th February 2018 at 8:10 am
Also James stop allowing developers to only have "pavements" either on one side of the road or none at all.
Julian Barlow
Thursday 15th February 2018 at 8:38 am
If there's one thing Cheshire East excels at it's meaningless consultations. "Is a door the best way out of a room?" you have 6 weeks to discuss.

This article sums up local government perfectly, it has it all. Daft acronyms, liberal use of the words "strategy" and "sustainable"- evidence of which is rarely apparent in the real world, and a director with a job that could only exist within the barmy world of Cheshire East.

Of course, they've omitted to mention that getting a child into a school within walking distance is going to become the increasingly difficult given the unprecedented levels of house building with no additional School places planned. If only the council could provide some sort of dedicated, multi-seated vehicle that could collect the children from numerous, predetermined collection points and take them to school. Alas, I dream.

Anywayu, in true council fashion they've used a lot of words to say "We'd like you to walk to school".
Marcia McGrail
Thursday 15th February 2018 at 8:48 am
James MacDonald for Prime Minister!
Simon Worthington
Thursday 15th February 2018 at 1:00 pm
The cutting back of shrubbery etc. encroaching over pavements is a problem on most mature streets.
Parking on a pavement is not an offence BUT driving on a pavement is. How then does one manage to get a car on the pavement. They should be ticketed.
As for those caring parents driving their hulking teenagers to school and collecting them presumably to keep them safe from all the others driving their unfit offspring to school.
Fiona Doorbar
Thursday 15th February 2018 at 2:53 pm
Julian,
I agree with everything you point out but you are not dreaming as
the council does provide a dedicated, multi-seated vehicle to collect the children from collection points if you do not get into your first choice secondary school......there're called taxis and they are at the expense of the tax payer!
Deleted Account
Monday 19th February 2018 at 3:19 am
The article refers to :

" Frank Jordan, executive director of place at Cheshire East Council "

Maybe it's too early in the morning but what is ' place ' ?