A new scheme aimed at making the walk to and from school safer for children may be trialled for six months at two Carlisle schools.

The scheme, which is set to be discussed at a Cumbria County Council meeting at 10am today (Monday, September 13), would see the introduction of two new ‘safe streets’ outside St Bede’s Catholic School and Inglewood Infants, which would be under an experimental order for six months.

The School Streets initiative is aimed at reducing traffic levels outside schools during the arrival and departure times.

Both schools had reportedly been in touch with the council about problems with keeping children safe on the roads outside of schools – something which made the schools decide to pursue the scheme.

Commenting on the proposed initiative, Councillor Gareth Ellis, who represents Belah and Kingmoor on Carlisle City Council, was supportive of the project but said that it would require the cooperation of parents.

He said: “I think it is a great idea. We have been trying to do it for a long time, bit it will only work if parents stop parking on the double yellow lines, where parking is already supposed to be restricted.

“It has been proposed in the past but we need to make sure that they are not parking where they shouldn’t be.

“It is going to be difficult to enforce, however.”

Also commenting on the proposed changes, Councillor Elizabeth Mallinson, who represents Stanwix and Houghton on Carlisle City Council, said: “Parents crucially need to realise that they are making the roads more unsafe. The small roads are busier than the main roads at times, walking to school can be much better for children.”

According to a report prepared ahead of today's meeting, the plan would help council priorities:

  • to safeguard children, and ensure that Cumbria is a great place to be a child and grow up;
  • to enable communities to live safely and shape services locally;
  • and to provide safe and well maintained roads and an effective transport network.