Agenda item

Active Travel to School

Briefing Note of the Director of Transportation and Highways

Minutes:

The Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) received a Briefing Note and presentation of the Director of Transportation and Highways that provided an update on support to schools to increase active trave The Cabinet Member for City Services, the Deputy Cabinet Member for Public Health and Sport and the City Council’s two representatives on the West Midlands Combined Authority Transport Delivery Committee, attended the meeting for this item of business. The West Midlands Walking and Cycling Commissioner also attend the meeting for this matter.

Active Travel included walking, cycling and other non-motorised forms of transport and could provide an affordable way for children and adults to build physical activity into their daily routines. This could benefit their own health and wellbeing and also help to improve local air quality for the benefit of the wider community by reducing short car trips. Parking outside schools had traditionally been discouraged through waiting restrictions and enforcement, but new approaches were being explored such as School Streets, where vehicle access was limited during school drop off and pick up times. This was trialled as part of the Air Quality Early Measures project.

The consultation on Coventry’s draft Transport Strategy, approved by the Cabinet in October 2021 (their minute 34/21 referred) and considered at a previous meeting of the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3) (minute 08/21 referred), included reference to active travel and schools as part of the vision of a safe, sustainable, equitable and resilient transport system, which enabled residents, visitors and businesses to thrive.

The draft strategy included four objectives: supporting the city’s economic recovery and enabling long-term growth; delivering a sustainable, low carbon transport system; ensuring equality of opportunity; and maximising health and wellbeing. The Council could deliver some aspects of the Strategy with other being delivered by, or in partnership with, partners in the region.

One of strategy’s themes was encouraging behaviour change including engaging with schools, which would help to meet sustainability and health and wellbeing objectives. Enabling active travel to school could also support economic and equality objectives by reducing travel costs for families and allowing older children to travel independently.

 

The Briefing note set out details of School travel trends, providing statistics on walking, cycling, bus use, car travel, lengths of journeys and ages of pupils undertaking each mode of travel, Local School Travel Data. It provided statistical information on Cycling to secondary school in Coventry providing statistical information; Bikeability Training, Walk to School, Go Ride Schools, and national charity Sustrans Smarter Travel Support.

 

Building on the experience to date, schools were being offered support to promote active travel in connection with the local air quality action plan, which focussed on the Holyhead Road corridor in particular. Support had already been provided to a number of schools in the target area with a particular focus on schools along the Coundon Cycleway. For example, support was already being provided to Coundon Court Secondary School at the western end of the route and St Osburg’s Primary School at the eastern end. Discussions had also been taking place with Bablake School which located directly on the cycleway route. 

 

Over 100 people had participated in adult cycle training from summer 2021 and beginners’ sessions had moved inside over the winter. Cycles were available for people to borrow at the training. Outreach activities had been undertaken via public events including CycleFest, where bikes could be donated for recycling for refugees. This event included supervised cycle parking, Dr Bike maintenance checks with Cycling UK, test rides and inclusive cycling with Parkride/Midland Mencap.

 

A holistic package of support would be provided to maximise opportunities for walking, scooting and cycling to school and also for other journeys. If parents were confident cycling, they were more likely to allow their children to cycle to school and may then be able to continue to their destination by bike. The elements of the programme taking place over the next 2 years were: School Travel Planning; Learn to Ride; Bikeability in School; Go Ride Coaching; Cycle and Scooter Parking at School; Route Development; Public Events; and promotional campaigns.

 

Details of how work to support walking and cycling to schools and local communities would be complemented by further engagement programmes targeting businesses across the city, were detailed in a Plan in the Briefing Note.

 

The Board questioned officers, received responses, and discussed the following issues:

  • Government had provided funding for work with schools on schemes – provide tools and best practice.
  • Schools engaged and were keen to promote – the tools and infrastructure needs to be in place to enable the travel changes to be implemented.
  • Investing in working with schools, businesses, communities to deliver training on travelling more sustainably.
  • Would like to work with all schools in the City, but funding is always an issue.
  • Important to get the message out to children early to have best outcomes.
  • St Osburg’s School – Air Quality Action Plan had been consulted on.
  • Upper Hill Street – impact of proposals to open up Upper Hill Street raised concerns from Members. The Plan could change due to any adverse impact it may cause, but the Government would require an alternative to improve air quality in that area.
  • Bikeability – Implemented in Schools to provide cycle training to equip children with vital life skills. Pupils not only learned to cycle, but gained independence, social skills and a sense of wellbeing.
  • Education of adults to cycle – work being undertaken.

 

 

RESOLVED that the Business, Economy and Enterprise Scrutiny Board (3):

 

1)  Notes the update on support to schools to increase active travel.

 

2)  Supports ongoing activity to promote active travel to school as part of the Local Air Quality Action Plan.

 

3)  Makes no further recommendations to the Cabinet Member.

Supporting documents: