Safer routes to school for Lower Quinton - the Meon Vale footpath opens

It is great news for Stratford residents, particularly those in Meon Vale and Quinton, as a new custom-built footpath opens to the public for the first time.

Warwickshire County Council's Safer Routes to Schools team was asked to design a footpath link between the new Meon Vale housing estate and Lower Quinton which would help parents/pupils get easier walking access to Quinton Primary School in Lower Quinton.

The desired route for this footpath was across a local farmer's field, which was privately-owned land. After correspondence between the farmer and the Council, an agreement was put in place in September 2019 for the land to be bought by WCC and for the works to begin.

Some parts of the works were completed in early October 2019 but, due to heavy rainfall from October to March 2020, works were difficult to carry out due to the nature of the soil and getting access for construction vehicles across the farmer's field.

Work eventually began back on site in early March 2020, but faced further unforeseen problems with the outbreak of Covid-19 when all works were suspended on site until further notice.

After working restrictions on construction sites were lifted in May, works began at pace and the council's contractors Balfour Beatty, in conjunction with County Highways, got back on site and completed the works, which allowed the footpath to open to the public on June 15 2020.

The new footpath, which is surrounded on all sides by views of outstanding natural beauty, boasts highly energy-efficient solar-powered lighting set into the concrete of the path itself to ensure there is adequate lighting for pupils and parents during the darker winter months. Highly favourable feedback on the new footpath has already been received from local residents in both Meon Vale and Quinton.

The new footpath cost a total of approximately £130,000 and was funded through the delegated Cllr Budgets of Cllr Izzi Seccombe and Cllr Mike Brain, with the remainder coming from the Council's Safer Routes to School budget.

Cllr Izzi Seccombe, Leader of Warwickshire County Council and Ward Member for Meon Vale and Lower Quinton, said: "I was very pleased to see the new Meon Vale to Quinton footpath open to residents for the first time earlier this week.

"Warwickshire County Council puts children at the heart of everything that it does and the children and parents of Meon Vale had a real need for safe access to their nearest school in Lower Quinton. I'm very pleased to say that this new footpath meets this need and commend the work of the Safer Routes to Schools team who have created a route that maximises views of the local area of outstanding natural beauty, while being conscious of environmental issues by having it lit by solar-powered lighting."

Cllr Mike Brain, Ward Member for Bidford & Welford who contributed his delegated budget to part fund the scheme, said: "As the area's children return to school after a long absence due to Covid-19, this fantastic new development offers parents a safe alternative to using the car as we try to keep traffic around our schools to a minimum to help maintain social distancing. "

More information about road safety and safer routes to schools can be found on the Warwickshire Website: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/obligations-service-area/road-safety-sustainable-travel/1