REPORT AGENDA ITEM 9 LEICESTERSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL HIGHWAYS FORUM FOR HARBOROUGH 8TH DECEMBER 2009 SCHOOL TRAVEL PLANS – UPDATE REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR OF HIGHWAYS TRANSPORTATION AND WASTE MANAGEMENT Introduction 1. The purpose of this report is to update Members of the Forum on the progress being made within the County on developing School Travel Plans and the implementation of associated highway schemes. Background 2. Over the past 20 years, the number of children travelling to school by car has almost doubled and the Department for Transport (DfT) has estimated that, in urban areas in term time, nearly one in five cars at 8.50 am is on the school run. The County Council has been working with schools to develop travel plans through the Local Transport Plan (LTP) since March 2000. School Travel Plans aim to reduce the number of cars arriving at the school gate, mainly by developing initiatives to improve the safety and convenience of alternative travel modes. 3. The LTP sets out a target for 90% of schools in Leicestershire to have completed a travel plan by the end of 2010/11. 4. In September 2003, the DfT and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES) launched the ‘Travelling to School Initiative’. A government grant is paid to each school when its Travel Plan is approved (excluding independent schools). Grants for primary and secondary schools differ. The grant for primary schools is £3,750 plus £5 per pupil and for secondary schools it is £5,000 plus £5 per pupil. This grant has to be spent within the school to promote sustainable travel and cannot be spent on the highway. Progress to Date 5. By the end of 2008/09 222 (72%) schools in Leicestershire had developed a travel plan. These schools are listed in Appendix A. 6. There are currently 310 schools in Leicestershire. During the current programme of work (2009/10), a further 37 (12%) schools are in the process of developing a travel plan or have expressed an interest in the scheme. A list of these can be found in Appendix B. 1 E:\moderngov\data\published\Intranet\C00000709\M00002961\AI00024130\STPHarb0.doc 7. The LTP has set out the following targets for the whole of Leicestershire for the percentage of schools to have completed a travel plan. The comparison of actual achievement has been added and, to date, we are exceeding the targets set. Year 2003/04 2004/05 2005/06 2006/07 2007/08 2008/09 2009/10 2010/11 Target 12% 24% 36% 48% 59% 70% 80% 90% Actual 12% 25% 38% 53% 64% 72% - - The remaining schools which have yet to commit to developing a travel plan are found in Appendix C. 8. To-date, 165 schools have requested measures other than an advisory 20mph zone. Of these, 45 schools have either benefited from a highway scheme being delivered or have a scheme identified in the current capital programme. A list of the schools and the type of scheme delivered can be found in Appendix D. Not all schools that develop a travel plan identify highway improvement measures. Funding Levels & Criteria 9. The aim of the County Council’s ‘Routes to School programme’ is to build a safer, more accessible highway network for pedestrians, cyclists and public transport. Some measures identified in a School Travel Plan may come within the Routes to School programme, such as pedestrian crossing facilities or 20 mph zones. The County Council will investigate whether or not such measures are appropriate or feasible and will seek to implement them where schools can demonstrate a commitment to the Travel Plan. LTP has set out the following funding for the ‘Routes to School’ programme for Leicestershire. Outturn Year 1 Year 2 Year 3 Year 4 Year 5 Prices £000s 06/07 07/08 08/09 09/10 10/11 Total Routes to 520 540 510 520 575 2710 School 10. Funding from LTP for ‘Routes to School’ schemes comes under the objective to reduce congestion; therefore, schemes in the future will be considered on the basis of the potential for modal shift. For example, schools will be able to identify through their travel plan the number of pupils who live within 1 mile (for primary) and 2 miles (for secondary) and yet travel to school by car. This will enable the County Council to prioritise potential schemes by identifying those with the highest number of car users and the scope to increase walking or cycling to school. 11. In appropriate locations, funding for schools is also sought from external sources including Sustrans, developers, Leicestershire PCT and the Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Road Safety Partnership. 2 E:\moderngov\data\published\Intranet\C00000709\M00002961\AI00024130\STPHarb0.doc 12. In conjunction with this, the Council is operating a programme of 20 mph zones outside schools through the LTP period. The criteria for this programme are based on schools having developed a travel plan and identifying speed of traffic as a major issue for its pedestrians and cyclists. Schemes are prioritised on an assessment of their benefit, as well as the level of commitment shown by the school in its travel plan. By 08/09, 115 20mph school safety zones were introduced and a further 31 are programmed for 09/10. 13. The ‘School Travel’ programme is also supported by a programme of cycling improvements, concentrated mainly in the Central Leicestershire and Loughborough areas. The development of improved cycle links this year has been accompanied by grant assistance to schools in the Central Leicestershire area towards cycle parking. Programme Outcomes 14. The DfT has identified modal shift as a key indicator of School Travel Plan effectiveness. A mechanism was put in place in autumn 2006 as part of the Annual School Census to collect the data necessary to monitor effectiveness and this has enabled the County Council to set the baseline for its modal shift targets in 2007. Modal shift is monitored in terms of the percentage of pupils travelling by car (sole passenger) aged 5-15. 06-07 07-08 08-09 09-10 10-11 Base Target 26% 25% 24% 23% Actual 26.2% 25.5% 24.6% Equal Opportunities Implications 15. Measures to address school travel are specifically designed to reduce road danger or improve access for vulnerable road users, particularly pedestrians, cyclists, disabled people, and the very old and very young. Recommendations 16. It is recommended that Members note the content of this report. Officer to Contact Charles Sampson Tel: 0116 305 0001 School Travel Plan Co-ordinator Email: [email protected] Background Papers DfT Guidance – Travelling to School: An Action Plan (DfT/DfES 2003) School Travel Planning Strategy 3 E:\moderngov\data\published\Intranet\C00000709\M00002961\AI00024130\STPHarb0.doc APPENDIX A (1 st Dec 2009) Schools Which Have Developed a Travel Plan Completed STP School District STPCompleted Huncote Community Primary School Blaby 03-Jan-08 Blaby Stokes C of E Primary School Blaby 20-Mar-09 Blaby Thistly Meadow Primary School Blaby 16-Mar-07 Braunstone Kingsway Primary School Blaby 24-Mar-05 Braunstone Millfield Community School Blaby 28-Mar-07 Braunstone Ravenhurst Primary School Blaby 29-Mar-07 Whetstone Badgerbrook Primary School Blaby 21-Mar-05 Countesthorpe Greenfield Primary School Blaby 01-Mar-04 Kilby St Mary's C of E Primary School Blaby 01-Mar-03 Kirby Muxloe Primary School Blaby 23-Feb-05 Stoney Stanton Manorfield C of E Primary School Blaby 14-Mar-08 Sharnford C of E Primary School Blaby 28-Mar-08 Sapcote All Saints C of E Primary School Blaby 17-Mar-05 Narborough Greystoke Primary School Blaby 30-Mar-07 Narborough Red Hill Field Primary School Blaby 31-Mar-08 Countesthorpe Leysland High School Blaby 24-Mar-09 Glenfield Primary School Blaby 20-Mar-06 Whetstone St Peter's C of E Primary School Blaby 27-Mar-07 Enderby Brockington College Blaby 27-Mar-09 Enderby Danemill Primary School Blaby 24-Mar-09 Countesthorpe Community College Blaby 12-Mar-07 Glen Parva Glen Hills Primary School Blaby 01-Mar-04 Cosby Primary School Blaby 01-Sep-02 Glenfield The Hall School Blaby 29-Mar-07 Leic Forest East Stafford Leys Community Primary Blaby 27-Mar-09 Loughborough Sacred Heart Primary School Charnwood 29-Mar-07 Loughborough Shelthorpe Primary School & CC Charnwood 18-Mar-05 Loughborough St Marys Catholic Primary School Charnwood 31-Mar-05 Loughborough Stonebow Primary School Charnwood 08-Mar-07 Loughborough The Garendon High School Charnwood 17-Mar-08 Loughborough Thorpe Acre Infant School Charnwood 31-Mar-06 Loughborough Woodbrook Vale High School Charnwood 30-Mar-07 Loughborough Mountfields Lodge School Charnwood 01-Oct-01 Mountsorrel Christ Church & St Peter's C of E Prim Charnwood 21-Mar-06 Newtown Linford Primary School Charnwood 10-Mar-08 Queniborough C of E Primary School Charnwood 31-Mar-06 Loughborough Thorpe Acre Junior School Charnwood 31-Mar-06 Hathern Church of England Primary School Charnwood 31-Mar-06 1 E:\moderngov\data\published\Intranet\C00000709\M00002961\AI00024130\STPHarb0.doc APPENDIX A (1 st Dec 2009) Schools Which Have Developed a Travel Plan Completed STP School District STPCompleted Barrow Humphrey Perkins High School Charnwood 29-Mar-07 Barrow Hall Orchard C of E Primary School Charnwood 01-Mar-02 Barkby The Pochin School Charnwood 22-Jan-07 Anstey The Martin High School Charnwood 27-Mar-08 Anstey The Latimer School Charnwood 31-Mar-06 Cossington C of E Primary School Charnwood 01-Sep-03 Loughborough Rendell Primary School Charnwood 31-Mar-08 Loughborough Holywell Primary School Charnwood 16-Feb-05 Loughborough Robert Bakewell Primary School & CC Charnwood 30-Mar-07 Quorn Rawlins Community College Charnwood 30-Mar-07 Loughborough Booth Wood Primary School