Huntington Community Primary School Travel Plan Publication Date
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Huntington Community Primary School Travel Plan Publication date: September 2020 Contents Page STP study group and survey methods 1 Acknowledgements Report Summary 2 Section 1: General policies on travel to school the need for a new STP 4 Section 2: Information on school and background to development of new school site 4 Summary of school details 6 Current Admissions policy 8 Background to school relocation 9 School location and catchment area 10 Travel issues identified during planning process 11 Mitigating remedial actions proposed by developer 12 School facilities for staff and children 17 Vehicular access to the school site 17 Current public transport provision 21 Section 3: School catchment area and travel to school problems 22 Pedestrian and cycle routes to school 25 Walking routes from Saighton Camp development 27 Safety issues from Saighton Camp development 27 Safety issues from Butterbache Road 32 Walking and safety issues from Caldy Valley 35 Current school travel policies 38 Safety issues in immediate rea of school site 39 Travel issues on school site 41 Section 4: Survey responses and proposed actions 46 Why parents use vehicles to take pupils to school 46 How pupils and staff travel to school 46 Concerns expressed by pupils 47 Mitigation of travel to school problems 47 Action plan and safety measures adopted within school 49 Figures in text Map 1 School catchment area January 2016 13 Map 2 Approach roads to school site 15 Map 3 Site plan of school 18 Map 4 School catchment area January 2019 24 Map 5 Signalised crossing points near school 26 Map 6 School on site parking area 45 Photographs 1 Coaches using Saighton Lane 16 2/3 School vehicular entrance 19 4 Pupil drop off/collection layby 20 5 Contractors cleared site office area 21 6/7 Bus turning point/layby 22 8 Pavement Highlander Way 28 9 Junction Highlander Way/Saighton Lane 29 10 Junction Highlander Road/Wavell Way 29 11 Pavement parking Kohima Crescent 30 12 Pavement parking Highlander Road 31 13 Pavement parking Butterbache Road 33 14 A55 Road Bridge 34 15 Proposed location traffic lights Gorse Way 35 16 Proposed Grose Way crossing point 36 17 Heavy traffic on A55 overbridge 37 18 Parent crossing at Rake and Pikle 38 19 School onsite drop off/collection lay-by 39 20 Puffin Crossing by school pedestrian entrance 40 21 Parent walking to Walker’s Nursery 41 23 Vehicles entering school car park gate 45 Tables Table 1 After School clubs 7 Table 2 Home areas of Huntington School pupils 23 Table 3 Staff travel distances to school 42 Table 4 How pupils travel to school 46 Appendices 1. Headteachers letters to parents re parking and risk assessment 51 2. Parent Travel Survey: response analysis 56 3. Pupil responses to survey 65 4. Staff survey responses 66 5. Joint statement by School Governors/Huntington Parish Council 69 6. Notes of meeting between School Governors and Huntington Parish Council 71 7. Proposed Action Plan 77 STP Study Group and survey methods: The Governor’s sub group that produced this STP Report included school staff, parents and local residents from areas close to the school. During 2019, consultation exercises were undertaken with parents, school staff and local residents as well as pupils. School staff undertook work with pupils to gather their views and opinions about travelling to school. Following publication, the report will be discussed at a general meeting of parents and residents. Details of the surveys undertaken with pupils, parents, staff and local residents are provided in Appendix 2. Generally, the response rate to surveys of parents and residents was disappointing. Despite several reminders to increase the response rate, less than 20% of families answered the survey. Acknowledgements: The school and governors would like to express their appreciation to all the parents, pupils and staff who assisted in the preparation of this new STP. Particular thanks are due to the officers in the various CWAC departments and services for their assistance in producing maps and data as well as guidance and suggestions on how to undertake the work. Any omissions or errors in this report are the sole responsibility of the author. Copyright: All the photographs used in the text are the copyright of Brian Turner. Maps and plans used in the text were provided by officers at CWAC and the use of these in this STP report is covered by the school and CWAC copyright licences with the Crown Ordnance Survey etc. - 1 - School Travel Plan Report: This report is in four sections Section 1 Why we need a new STP and general policies on travel to school Section 2 Information on school profile and development of the new school site. Section 3 The school catchment area and problems experienced by pupils travelling to school Section 4 Survey responses and proposed actions Report Summary: 1. The problems identified by parents and school staff of road safety, inappropriate parking and travel to school arise from the decision taken in principle in 2013 to build a school on the current site. Initially the school site was within the Saighton Camp residential development where safety and other issues would have been far less acute. The current school entrance at the junction of three very busy commuter roads to/from Chester beyond the residential development is the primary cause of safety and other issues. 2. The decision to build a new school on the current site rather than within the residential development is outlined in the 2013 S106 agreement between CWAC and the developer of Saighton Camp. This 2013 S106 agreement outlined the proposal to exchange the proposed school site on Saighton Camp for the recreational area owned by the developer on Aldford Road. In exchange for acquiring the original school site within the residential development valued at over £4m plus being granted planning permission for housing on this site, the developer sold to CWAC for £1 the larger area of designated recreation land. This recreation land had little commercial value for residential development as it is within the Green belt plus it has substantial maintenance costs associated with trees, hedges and grass cutting. 3. All the problems associated with pupils travelling to the current school site noted by parents were identified in the 2016 Atkins Travel Assessment report. CWAC planning and highways officers agreed with the conclusions of the Atkins report about the transport problems and safety issues associated locating the new school at a very busy road junction. 4. The draft Atkins Travel Assessment proposed a range of mitigation measures some of which were not included in the final report - 2 - presumably after discussions with CWAC officers and possibly the developer. It is not clear why and on whose authority some of the proposed mitigation proposals were removed from the final published Atkins report. Parents and residents would like to see all the measures originally proposed and recommended in the Atkins 2016 draft Travel Assessment put into effect. 5. It is beyond the powers and authority of Huntington CP School governors to implement most of the possible measures proposed by parents and outlined in the Action Plan to ensure safer and more sustainable travel to school. At best, Huntington CP School governors can only encourage and cajole parents and pupils to take more sustainable and healthier means to travel to school and promote better road safety awareness amongst its pupils. Actions on improved road safety measures are the remit of other agencies. 6. The mitigation measures proposed as part of the Planning Approval process have generally been put into effect. However, key safety issues and parking problems identified by CWAC planning and highways experts before the school was built have still not been resolved to the satisfaction of parents or local residents. 7. Some measures proposed by parents and incorporated in the STP Action Plan require the approval and financial support of highways agencies and the support of Huntington Parish Council as they relate to areas beyond the school boundary. 8. Most pupils already walk, cycle or scooter to school. The survey responses suggest that it is doubtful if any actions will significantly reduce the number of parents using cars to bring/collect children to/from school. In 2019/20 approximately 20% of pupils live outside of the Parish. For these out of parish pupils, the travel time by public transport - where available - and distance from school means private cars or taxis are the most effective form of travel. 9. The minority of parents living in the Parish who bring their children to school by car do so primarily because of work commitments. It seems unlikely that any action by the school will encourage these parents to allow their children to walk/cycle or scooter to school. 10. There are insufficient volunteers to make a “Walking Bus” a viable proposal. 11. Measures such as a Parent Parking Charter aimed at changing attitudes towards walking and parking ultimately rely upon pupils putting pressure on their parents. - 3 - 12. The parents who bring their children to school by car and currently park off site do so because they cannot easily gain entry to the school drop off area. The parent survey and on-site discussions with these parents indicate the strong expectation that the school will provide additional on-site parking facilities. Section 1: General policies on travel to school and the need for a new School Travel Plan (STP) Schools are expected to have a School Travel Plan (STP). The STP should comply with and reflect the objectives/strategies outlined in both the National Planning Policy Framework and the Cheshire West and Chester (CWAC) Local Transport Plan.