Turning the school run into a walk for children

KEY walking routes to Chard’s various schools will be enhanced as part of a new ten-year plan for the town.

- 

Somerset Council has published its Chard local cycling and walking infrastructure plan (LCWIP), which assesses the town’s existing active travel network and identifies where improvements are needed.

Four routes across the town have been prioritised for future investment as the council seeks to encourage greener transport, cutting congestion and pollution in the face of local housing growth.

As part of the plan, improvements will be made across the town to make it easier for schoolchildren to walk to Holyrood Academy and the town’s existing primary schools.

LCWIPs are ten-year plans which focus on improving walking and cycling networks across major settlements, making it easier for people to travel to work, school or other local facilities without relying on the private car.

‘The plans have been developed through consultation with the council's local community networks (which have been driving forward improvements in rural areas), cycling charities and campaign groups.

Having these plans in place makes it easier for the council to secure funding for identified improvements - either by applying for grants from central government, or by negotiating financial contributions from new housing developments.

‘The council has already published a number of plans for other settlements in Somerset - including Bridgwater, Frome, Taunton and Yeovil, as well as a broader plan for the former Mendip area.

‘This latest plan has been released alongside two other LCWIPs in areas which are seeing high demand for new housing - one for Wellington, and a combined plan for Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge.

In each case, the LCWIP is designed to be an “evolving plan’, with the chosen improvements being subject to change depending upon the views of local residents or the availability of funding.