Footpaths may make walking to school safer for Corsham children (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Footpaths may make walking to school safer for Corsham children

6:00pm Thursday 5th July 2012 in Corsham By Craig Jones

Proposals for a footpath to help Corsham children safely walk to school and potentially reduce road traffic at peak times are under discussion.

The idea, debated by last Thursday’s Corsham Area Transport Committee at the town hall, would see a new short footpath from the public car park, behind The Methuen Arms, in High Street, stretch to the South Avenue gates next to the town’s war memorial.

This would allow walkers to avoid the narrow path in South Place and aims to improve safety for children walking to Corsham Primary School, in Pound Pill, and St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School, in Lacock Road.

The proposal is an alternative to permanently introducing traffic calming in South Place, after a two-week trial in May. During the trial, traffic from Pound Pill was given priority over vehicles coming from Pickwick Road.

Corsham town councillor Peter Davis said: “This proposal is a fair compromise. The majority of the committee were in favour of the scheme as are the local schools.”

One stumbling block could be that the path would go over land owned by Corsham Estate, but Coun Davis, who is also a Wiltshire councillor, is optimistic this can be resolved.

He said: “Myself and the town clerk David Martin will meet with their estate manager, Chris Waltho, to discuss the implications and legal aspects of providing such a pedestrian link.”

As part of the plans, Coun Davis wants Wiltshire Council to give parents permits to let them park for free for a short time in the car park behind the Methuen Arms to drop their children off.

Headteacher Rita McLoughlin is in favour of the proposal but also feels there were some benefits of the South Place trial.

She said: “One of the key aspects I wanted to hold onto was a safe walking route.

“It would be a clear path, a safe path and avoids the narrow part of South Place.

“The parking permits would be very welcomed too and I think this idea for the path is fantastic.”