Local residents of Frome, don’t miss this opportunity! Get involved in the public consultation on Sharks Lane’s Safer School Streets scheme that could make it much safer for students and their families to walk or cycle. Carla Collenette, Town Councillor, is encouraging the community to speak up and support this key initiative. It affects a number of local schools, and YOUR voice is needed!
The public consultation event, to be held on May 14, will include members of Wellington Town Council and Somerset Council. Joining us from Sustrans, the UK charity supporting sustainable transport, will be our own officials. The chief operating officer of Paths for All, Matt Winfield, underlined the collaborative ethos running through the project.
“This scheme was designed in collaboration with the local community,” Winfield stated. He further remarked, “It is really important that we check back in with residents to make sure that Frome’s Safer School Streets scheme is enabling more children to walk, wheel and cycle to school more often.”
The Safer School Streets zones cover the areas around Oakfield Academy, Trinity First School, Critchill School and Avanti Park School. As such, these zones have been rolled out as a DfT-funded 18-month trial period. The trial is scheduled to wrap up at the end of October.
In what has become known as the Frome Model, roads in the western portion of Frome now feature a default maximum speed of 20mph. Additionally, these roads are closed to vehicles during peak pick-up and drop-off times to ensure a safer environment for students. New paint and crossings have been added to narrow boundaries and manage speeds, improving safety.
Councillor Collenette moved on to encourage local residents to participate in and challenge the consultation process. “We hope lots of people can join us on 14 May or at the pop-up events and complete the online survey,” she said.
Residents are invited to attend the final, large public meeting at Oakfield Academy. They can participate in pop-up events and share their ideas through an online survey, helping to make sure that their voices are guiding this new and potentially impactful program.
