Bicycle Bubble takes off

18th Nov, 2008

The Kings of Wessex School Council is celebrating the arrival of its new "Bicycle Bubble" as part of its continued road safety campaign work initiated in the school year 2004-5.

The School Council's Green Travel Plan has been one of their most successful campaigns to date. They initially made a presentation to local businesses, both Parish and District Councillors and also a representative from the Local Authority's Highway Department, as well as a presentation at the Cheddar Parish Council's AGM in 2007.

The student council undertook research into safer routes for students to travel to school, aided by School Governors, parents and fellow Kings students. Feedback revealed that many students wanted to walk or cycle to school, but felt unable to do so. The Green Travel Plan was created with a view to improving walking and cycling conditions, and reducing the traffic problems at the front of school in Station Road.

Since their questionnaire research, the School Council have been liaising with UK's leading sustainable transport charity Sustrans to improve local cycle-ways on the way to school. This culminated in the Council being awarded a £10,000 grant as part of the Green Travel Plan Government initiative to help fund projects, including a "cycle and walk to school" campaign. One of the first projects for this funding is the new "Bicycle Bubble" bike shed at the school's memorial car park entrance, with space for 40 bicycles, offering a safe place for students to keep their bikes during school times and protected from all weathers.

The "Bicycle Bubble" was installed during the October half term holidays and is already popular with students opting to cycle to school. The objective was for the bubble to provide a visually pleasing secure under cover cycle facility. Urban Engineering supplied and installed the bubble at a total cost of £10,409, which was narrowly under budget of the £10,870 Travel Plan Grant. The dimensions are 8 x 6m to accommodate 40 cycles, with the potential to expand to 60 cycles on the current site. The bubble is constructed in steel with a polyester powder coated finish in matt grass green colour, and the roof is toughened Perspex. Planning permission had to be sought because of the bubble's proximity to residential properties in Station Road. This was approved by Sedgemoor District Council without a single objection.

Speaking on behalf of the School Council, Abbey Renshaw and Mike Turner said, "The School Council hopes everyone is pleased with the on-going work and contributions of the Green Travel Plan, as much as us. We thank all parents, students and members of the local community for their support".

The School Council continue to be active with work afoot to develop a 'Park and Stride' system and a car-sharing website, where parents can arrange for their children who need to travel to school by car, to share lifts to reduce the amount of traffic and the strain on the environment. They are also campaigning for the public toilets to be removed from Station Road to allow the school entrance to be expanded for improved access.

For more information about the School Council you can visit their new page on the Kings website:
http://www.kowessex.co.uk/students/school-council/