Trial to ban vehicles outside schools gets £140k

A council pilot scheme to ban vehicles from outside some schools during drop-off and pick-up times has been allocated £140,000 in funding.

It comes as Wiltshire Council was awarded £169,000 from Active Travel England to deliver cycling, wheeling and walking projects.

The bulk of the funding is being spent on the Wiltshire School Streets trial, which is due to be rolled out at six schools in a bid to improve safety, reduce congestion and encourage more active travel on the school run.

Councillor Martin Smith said the funding "allows us to continue improving the infrastructure that helps residents choose to walk, wheel and cycle more often".

Active Travel England is a government agency which wants more local journeys to be done on foot or by bikes, skateboards or scooters by 2030.

The council was initially granted the funding last summer, but said the project designs needed to be approved by the government agency before they could proceed.

The authority said its School Streets project would initially look at "six Wiltshire schools in five areas" but more schools could be included depending on the success of the pilot.

The remaining £29,000 has been earmarked for a shared-use path between Park Wall and Lower Road in Quidhampton.

The path, according to the council, is an "important missing link on the Wilton-Salisbury active travel corridor".

The route will not only provide a safer alternative to the A3094, which currently has no dedicated cycling facilities, but will also link with National Cycle Network Route 24.

Smith, cabinet member for highways, said both schemes would help provide "safer, more accessible routes for children, families and commuters".

"These projects support our wider goals to promote safer active travel options, improve public health, reduce traffic congestion and cut carbon emissions," he added.

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