Pupils play their part to boost walking to school
Left to right: PCSO Linda Conwy; Gemma Rhodes, Road Safety Officer; James Weinberger; Emeli Norman; Lily Johnson; Olivia Huxley; Katherine Robinson; Cllr Louise Gittins, ward member and Cheshire West and Chester Council Leader; Mrs Anna Howard, teacher.
Children from Woodfall Primary and Nursery School in Little Neston have launched a School Parking Charter as part of a campaign to boost the number of children walking to and from school.
Junior Safety Officers and the school's Eco Squad helped to develop the Parking Charter to address the barriers parents and carers face when choosing to walk with their children at the beginning and end of the school day.
A survey was carried out at the beginning of the school year which showed that the main reason for driving to school was "dangerously parked cars". These vehicles blocked a clear view for children to see the cars coming towards them and for drivers to see children waiting to cross.
The Junior Safety Officers wanted to create a School Parking Charter to address the road safety element and the Woodfall Eco Squad wanted to focus on the air quality element. They teamed up together with teacher, Mrs Howard, and parent representative, Helen Roberts, to meet with the Council's Road Safety Team and find out how they could create their own.
The Council's Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Environment, Highways and Strategic Transport, Councillor Karen Shore, said:
A big thank you to everyone who was involved in putting this Charter together for Woodfall Primary School. The Charter asks parents and carers to pledge to a number of things during the school run, including keeping below the 20mph speed limit, not to stop, drop off or park on the yellow "zig-zag" markings, not to park on pavements or grass verges and not to block driveways, even for a moment. They are also asked to consider using the Royal Oak pub as a 'Park and Stride' site and walking the remainder of the way to school. This will reduce the traffic around school and keep the air quality cleaner around school.
At the pre-launch assembly, the School Parking Charter was explained to the children. All children were happy with the charter and agreed to let parents, carers, grandparents, or whoever brings them to school and picks them up, to sign up to create a safer environment around school.
At the official launch of the School Parking Charter, the Road Safety Team also presented the Junior Safety Officers with the Woodfall Primary and Nursery School Modeshift STARS Green Award, for their commitment to Active Travel.
For more information on how your school can sign up to have a School Parking Charter or take part in Modeshift STARS please contact the Road Safety Team at Cheshire West and Chester Council on roadsafety@cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk.