Agenda item

A School Travel Plan sets out objectives and actions that the school will undertake to improve road safety and promote sustainable travel modes to reduce reliance on the car. Since 2017 the county council’s Safer Travel Team have promoted a new national online system called Modeshift STARS www.modeshiftstars.org which provides an online template and supporting materials for schools to create a School Travel Plan.

This report provides an update on the status of each School Travel Plan for schools in Tandridge District, as well as the take up of activities offered to schools by the county council’s Safer Travel and Cycle Training Teams over the last academic year. It also highlights those schools that have expanded and are currently in breach of their planning obligations because they have not yet completed an accredited School Travel Plan.

(Report attached)

Taken after item 15.

Declarations of Interest: None

Officer attending: Duncan Knox, Road Safety and Active Travel Team Manager

Petitions, Public Questions, Statements: None

As the Report Officer was delayed the Area Highways Manger provided a summary of the report and offered to take questions from the committee back to the Active Travel team.

Members Discussion- Key Points

1.    Clarifications was sought for the term ‘highway engineering improvements’ in 1.1 of the report as no funding is available to do this?

The Area Highways Manager advised that highway engineering improvements could be low cost measures and include improved signage, or cycle parking. The Member responded that the wording could be misinterpreted, and perhaps should read ‘small projects, such as speed reductions’ as the current wording gives impression it’s larger scale.

2.    The Chairman felt that the walking bus worked well at Dormansland school.

The Report Author arrived, and the Chairman invited him to present his report to the Committee.

The Officer advised that concerns around road safety and congestion around schools is one of the most common complaints. The School Travel Plan is a plan of the actions the school will take, it used to be a paper document that often ended up on a shelf. The new system is a national online platform with template, which the school must complete and update. SCC are also able to log on to the system to view and monitor plans.

The report highlights which schools have a School Travel Plans and which schools are taking up the opportunities that SCC offers. The Officer asked if councillors could assist to encourage schools in their area to encourage completion of a school travel plan.

The Chairman thanked the Officer for his report and felt that all schools need to engage with travel plan and engage the pupils to take part in the opportunities.

3.    It was asked what enforcement measures could be taken to support travel plans outside schools?

The Officer advised that cars should not park on the ‘school keep clear’ markings. He acknowledged that resources are often spread thinly, however schools could take part in a ‘park smart’ initiative. This allows the children to issue a ‘pretend’ ticket to cars parked inconsiderately outside the school.  Speed enforcement can also be carried out if there is concern about speeds outside school, and work would be with the Police to identify priorities.

4.    It was asked how can Members encourage schools that should have a travel plan in place but don’t?

The Officer advised that Officers and Cabinet Member have written to them, and will get in touch again shortly. Officers are also able to discuss with the Planning Team for further enforcement as schools are in breach of planning consent if not in place. Officers are currently focusing specifically on expanding schools, but henceforth will be engaging with all schools to try and get them signed up to Modeshift Stars and engage. Additional funding from DEFRA was received this year to encourage travel behaviour change on air quality with theatre workshops in schools.

Resolution

The Local Committee (Tandridge):

(i)            NOTED the county council’s Safer Travel Team will continue to encourage and support all Surrey’s expansion schools to complete and maintain their School Travel Plan using the online Modeshift STARS system.

(ii)           NOTED from 2018/19, the Safer Travel Team will also encourage all Surrey’s schools to create a School Travel Plan using the online Modeshift STARS accreditation system. This will involve promotion and the offer of training and support to all schools

(iii)          NOTED that Members are invited to assist by encouraging schools to sign up to Modeshift STARS, and to take up the activities offered by the Safer Travel and Cycle Training Teams to improve road safety and encourage sustainable travel.