Committee approves funding to improve road safety for pupils attending Avoch Primary

Members of the Skye, Ross and Cromarty Area Committee today (Wednesday 5 February) approved £12,000 of funding to be used to improve road safety at Avoch Primary in a move to encourage more pupils to cycle to and from their school.

The Cycling Walking and Safer Streets (CWSS) Programme is funded by the Scottish Government and aims to encourage sustainable and active travel to school by improving safety and removing barriers to walking and cycling. 
The money will be used to create a cycle storage area and install Boot Print markings on the pavements as well as Stop/Look/Listen signs on the approaches to the 221 pupil school on the Black Isle.

Members were also advised that £29,928 of Small Grant Funding for projects up to the value of £3,000 has been allocated by the Council’s Road Safety team for other projects in Skye, Ross and Cromarty.

These projects include Park Smart banners for Kiltearn and Dingwall Primaries, providing cycle training markings at Avoch and Ben Wyvis schools and supplying Hi Viz vests for pupils at Culbokie, Marybank, Carbost and Plockton primary schools. £2,492 has also been awarded for new cycle storage racks at Fortrose Academy, and a further £2,650 to install SID signs at Hilton of Cadbol primary in Easter Ross.

Leader of the Skye, Ross and Cromarty Area Committee Councillor Hamish Fraser  said: “I’m sure the £12,000 will make a big difference in improving safety for pupils travelling to and from Avoch Primary.  Our Road Safety Team do a lot of work with schools in our area to look at ways of encouraging more active ways to travel to school. I would like to thank them and the pupils and staff from all our schools for putting forward such worthwhile projects.”