Claire Evans – School Travel Plan Advisor (Lancaster District)
What is a School Travel Plan (STP)?
A comprehensive plan produced by a school that sets out a package of initiatives for improving safety on the school journey and reducing the number of car trips. These measures may include walking, cycling and public transport initiatives, such as a walking bus or building secure cycle storage. There may also be engineering measures to enhance safety on the route to school.
Grants
As an incentive to help schools to develop a Travel Plan Lancashire County Council offer development grants of £500 (primary) and £1000 (secondary). A capital grant is also available for school who have produced a quality plan that meets the Department of Education and Skills criteria (£3750 + £5 per pupil for primary schools, £5000 + £5 per pupil for secondary schools.) The grant is a one off payment with submissions to DfES occurring annually at the end of each financial year. The Grant from the DfES is available until March 2008.
Safer Routes to School Project
The Safer Routes to School program is principally driven by the STP process using capital expenditure on projects aimed to improve safety and encourage walking, cycling and public transport use. Following the STP’s submitted in March ’05 new projects will be considered for next years Safer Routes to School Project.
The role of a School Travel Plan Advisor
The School Travel Plan Advisors role is to promote and initiate the development of STPs. In order for a plan to be successful it is imperative that the school has ownership of it. An advisor’s role is to support and direct the school enabling them to develop a good quality plan that meets the DfES criteria. This involves supporting the school to conduct a detailed survey; provide advice and support on how to set up initiatives (e.g. incentive schemes, park and stride, publicity etc.) and to give guidance on how to write the plan. Each school requires a different level of support, some schools require 4 or 5 visits, in addition to regular phone calls and emails.
Schools are targeted using several criteria including the number of pupils traveling by car, casualty figures and any proposed engineering schemes close to the school.
Local Situation
I am employed as a County Council employee based in the School Travel Plan Team. The team includes 4 School Travel Plan Advisors who cover 3 districts each. My role is dedicated to the Lancaster District, however Jane Swindlehurst still covers the district as a part of her role, and remains the contact for 10 of the districts schools
Schools in the District
53 primary 10 secondary
In the years before I started all schools in the county had been contacted by the County Council offering help and support to develop a STP. From this 6 schools in the district developed a STP. Following my appointment I have been able to employ a much more hands on approach and have been out to see 20 schools so far, 19 of which have developed or are in the process of developing a STP.
Number of approved STP March ‘05 deadline 8 + (3 Jane) = 11
Total number of schools with approved Travel Plans = 17
During the next financial year I am planning to work with around 10-15 schools aiming to produce 10 STP by the March ’06 deadline. I will also be working with the schools that submitted plans for the March ’05 deadline on the actions they have identified.
Priority Schools for 05/06
A comprehensive plan produced by a school that sets out a package of initiatives for improving safety on the school journey and reducing the number of car trips. These measures may include walking, cycling and public transport initiatives, such as a walking bus or building secure cycle storage. There may also be engineering measures to enhance safety on the route to school.
Grants
As an incentive to help schools to develop a Travel Plan Lancashire County Council offer development grants of £500 (primary) and £1000 (secondary). A capital grant is also available for school who have produced a quality plan that meets the Department of Education and Skills criteria (£3750 + £5 per pupil for primary schools, £5000 + £5 per pupil for secondary schools.) The grant is a one off payment with submissions to DfES occurring annually at the end of each financial year. The Grant from the DfES is available until March 2008.
Safer Routes to School Project
The Safer Routes to School program is principally driven by the STP process using capital expenditure on projects aimed to improve safety and encourage walking, cycling and public transport use. Following the STP’s submitted in March ’05 new projects will be considered for next years Safer Routes to School Project.
The role of a School Travel Plan Advisor
The School Travel Plan Advisors role is to promote and initiate the development of STPs. In order for a plan to be successful it is imperative that the school has ownership of it. An advisor’s role is to support and direct the school enabling them to develop a good quality plan that meets the DfES criteria. This involves supporting the school to conduct a detailed survey; provide advice and support on how to set up initiatives (e.g. incentive schemes, park and stride, publicity etc.) and to give guidance on how to write the plan. Each school requires a different level of support, some schools require 4 or 5 visits, in addition to regular phone calls and emails.
Schools are targeted using several criteria including the number of pupils traveling by car, casualty figures and any proposed engineering schemes close to the school.
Local Situation
I am employed as a County Council employee based in the School Travel Plan Team. The team includes 4 School Travel Plan Advisors who cover 3 districts each. My role is dedicated to the Lancaster District, however Jane Swindlehurst still covers the district as a part of her role, and remains the contact for 10 of the districts schools
Schools in the District
53 primary 10 secondary
In the years before I started all schools in the county had been contacted by the County Council offering help and support to develop a STP. From this 6 schools in the district developed a STP. Following my appointment I have been able to employ a much more hands on approach and have been out to see 20 schools so far, 19 of which have developed or are in the process of developing a STP.
Number of approved STP March ‘05 deadline 8 + (3 Jane) = 11
Total number of schools with approved Travel Plans = 17
During the next financial year I am planning to work with around 10-
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1.
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Lancaster Bowerham
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2.
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Scotforth St Paul’s
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3.
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Hornby St Margaret’s
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4.
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St Bernadette’s
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5.
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Our Lady of Lourdes
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6.
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Warton Archbishop Hutton’s
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7.
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Carnforth North Road
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8.
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M & H Sandylands
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9.
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Poulton-
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10.
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Melling St Wilfrid’
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11.
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Moorside
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12.
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Heysham High
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Schools with Travel Plans
04/05
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1.
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Caton St Pauls
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2.
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Caton Community
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3.
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Ellel St John
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4.
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M & H St Patrick’s
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5.
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Dallas Road
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6.
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Morecambe Bay
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7.
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M & H Trumacar
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8.
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Central Lancaster High
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(9. Great Wood)
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(10.
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Willow Lane)
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(11.
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Morecambe High)
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03/04
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(1.
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St Wilfrid’s Halton)
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(2.
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Slyne-
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(3.
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Bolton-
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(4.
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Overton St Helen’s)
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(5.
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M & H Westgate)
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(6. Carnforth High)
| Notes for Cycling & Walking Forum April 05 |
| School Travel Plan Advisor (Lancaster District) |