By BRIAN TILLEY

Last updated 13:33, Thursday, 14 August 2008

schools in Tynedale are being rewarded for putting an end to the queues of parents’ cars outside the school gates.

The 12 schools have been awarded a share of a £229,330 Government nest egg because they have each produced a school travel plan, setting out a number of practical ways to reduce the number of car trips made to school.

Their initiative has won them a share of the Government funding to encourage safer, healthier and more environmentally friendly forms of travel to and from school.

These can include methods to encourage more walking and cycling to school, such as providing bike sheds or setting up walking buses, and ways of improving safety on the school journey.

The schools have been supported by Northumberland County Council’s travel plan team who provide advice and guidance on all aspects of producing a school travel plan.

The funding will be used by the individual schools to make improvements to meet the aims of their travel plan. This includes cycle storage, parents’ waiting shelters, CCTV, lighting and improvements to paths within the school grounds,

The schools have also identified other projects that they would like to implement as part of their school travel plan. These projects include walking buses, park and stride schemes and road safety education.

The successful schools are the first schools at Beaufront, Haydon Bridge Shaftoe Trust, Henshaw, Otterburn, Ovingham, Prudhoe West, Slaley, Chollerton, Greenhead and Herdley Bank.

Also successful were two middle schools – Ovingham and Richard Coates endowed at Ponteland.

The 12 Tynedale schools were among 43 across the county to win the funding, which was secured from the Department for Children, Schools and Families and the Department for Transport.

Travel plan co-ordinator for Northumberland County Council Sarah Brierly, said: “I am delighted that so many schools in Northumberland have been successful in securing funding to help children and young people travel to school in a safer and healthier way.

“This not only benefits the children themselves, but also the environment too, as fewer cars will need to be on the road for the ‘school run’. I am looking forward to seeing some of the new plans being implemented.”

Executive member for highways and operations Coun. Alan Thompson said: “I would like to congratulate these schools on this fantastic achievement and I hope that other schools in the county will be inspired to look at how their own students are travelling to and from school.

“I am particularly pleased that these schools have been so proactive in looking at ways to improve safety and encourage pupils to take more exercise by creating more opportunities for walking and cycling.”