Three new walking and cycling schemes are set to be introduced in North Somerset.
North Somerset Council has been successful in a bid for £310,000 from the Department for Transport in the latest funding round.
The schemes include a liveable neighbourhood in Weston-super-Mare and school streets at Windwhistle Primary School in Weston and Crockerne C of E Primary School in Pill.
The liveable neighbourhood in central Weston will be the first of its kind in North Somerset and is set to reduce through traffic, creating calmer streets and pleasant journeys to school, work and the shops.
The school streets at Windwhistle and Crockerne primary schools will provide a calmer and healthier school run by reducing through traffic at school drop off and collection times.
The funding will assist North Somerset Council in reacting to the cost of living crisis by helping to provide better and cheaper alternatives to petrol/diesel car journeys through active travel. The reduction in traffic in the liveable neighbourhood and school streets will not only reduce air pollution but help people to lead healthier lifestyles and get to school safely.
Lyn Hunt, Headteacher at Windwhistle Primary School said:
We’ve done lots of work within the school site to make it easier and safer for children to walk, cycle and scoot to school including controlling access to the car-park and providing scooter and cycle parking.
We have plans to encourage more children to travel to school actively and are excited at the prospect of working with the local community and the council to develop a school street on Kingsley Road.
Cllr Steve Hogg, North Somerset Council’s executive member with responsibility for transport and highways added:
These schemes will provide environmental and health benefits to the communities involved. Not only will they help to reduce pollution but they will also encourage people to use active travel on the school and work run providing additional health benefits.
In addition to the DfT funding, North Somerset Council has identified funding for active travel improvements in Yatton which include additional 20mph zones and improvements to the Strawberry Line at North End.
All schemes remain subject to detailed design and will be delivered in the next year.