Locals give views on pupils school street designs

Cycling charity Sustrans have been asking local residents in West Derby to give their views about new designs on streets around four schools in the area.
The design proposals are based on a child’s eye view from children who use the streets every day to travel to school.

Children worked with the Sustrans team to survey their school streets. They assessed what they liked about the environment on the streets around their schools. And they looked at what they found dangerous or unpleasant.

They suggested changes, such as slowing down traffic, closing streets or stopping inconsiderate parking, to make their streets more attractive for everyone.

Sustrans are working with nine schools in a two-mile area of West Derby, to help tackle the challenges of traffic congestion, air pollution and road safety. Recently four of these schools won £20,000 to implement their design ideas.

The winning schools were: St Paul’s and St Timothy’s Infant School; St Paul’s Junior School; Mab Lane Mixed Primary and St Mary’s CE Primary.

The designs create more safe spaces for people to walk and cycle and include colourful street art and places to sit, temporary school street closures, one-way streets and building out pavements or slowing traffic.

Usually, consultations are held through public events and meetings. But due to the coronavirus outbreak, they are seeking feedback online and via postcards.

Lou Henderson, project officer for West Derby said: “The children worked hard to help our design team understand what problems they face every day when they travel to school.

“These new street design proposals are a result of their ideas. We then asked residents who lived on these streets to make sure the designs will work in practice and to see how they can be improved.

Ryan Scarr, teacher at Mab Lane Primary School said: “We are absolutely amazed and so thankful that we have received funding to make our school a safer place.”

Simon O’Brien, cycling and walking commissioner for Liverpool City Region said: “Now more than ever it’s important to look at how the way we travel affects our health and wellbeing and this project is a fantastic opportunity to do just that”.