Why do more bikes belong to staff than pupils in the bike rack at The King's School?
In a
recent meeting I had to explain to Devon County Council that the roads to our
school are too dangerous for students to cycle to school safely.
We live
in a beautiful rural community where we should be promoting healthy lifestyles,
reducing obesity levels and being active model citizens but at present the cars
reign supreme on our roads.
The
benefits of cycling is finally being targeted by the Government and funding is now
available for providing sustainable travel options and we as a community want a
slice of that financial pie!
A cycle
path from Feniton to Ottery would entice visitors from the main train line to
our area and be a vital boost for tourism. I can already see Phyllis (our
trusted Tourist information officer) handing out the route maps. Our multi-use
path could then continue onto Tipton and be enjoyed by all the different
generations within our community but we have to prove this is what our area
wants.
Our
online petition has over 500 signatures which is an excellent start and if we
all, like the Primary and Secondary Headteachers, want safe routes to schools
and safe effective multi-use paths in our area, we need many more people to
visit our website and record their voice. The final route has not been decided
upon and a feasibility study needs to be carried out to establish the most
agreeable route possible. Our group
meets regularly to actively campaign alongside our Sidmouth counterparts to
gather support and liaise with other significant parties as otherwise the
funding available will go elsewhere in the UK.
To
celebrate the opening of the Tour of Britain and to raise awareness of our
campaign, we are organizing a Family Fun Cycle ride on 21st
September. The ride will begin in Ottery at 11am in the land of Canaan car park
and continue onto Escot Estate where we can enjoy a picnic lunch. We will be supported on the day by cycling
experts and cycling trainers so the ride is suitable for all members of the family.
SIGN THE PETITION!
We are so
privileged to live in an area with an active community that is committed to
developing our town. A cycle path would
hugely benefit our area bringing improved health, tourism and our general
quality of life.
Please visit www.ottertrail.org , sign our petition and
spread the word.
Many thanks, Jo Elliott – Chair of the Otter Trail cycle
committee.
And here's the photo that will accompany the article:
King’s School students, along with the Sidmouth group, meet representatives from Devon County Council to discuss details of the campaign..
Futures Forum: Otter Trail petition nears 500
Futures Forum: Futures Forum cycling meeting 20th May: press release
.
.
.
No comments:
Post a Comment