Dear Families,

I hope you have enjoyed the summer holidays. We are delighted to welcome back our students. I am writing to you to request your support in continuing to apply pressure on the local council to ensure that the Middlewood Way is no longer declared a safe route. This would mean that the free local authority bus from the Bollington would still be available for all students in the area.

On 19th July 2016, the Children and Families Overview and Scrutiny Committee members agreed with us that the matter should be referred back to the Council’s Cabinet for further consideration. Almost immediately, the local authority issued a disappointing statement which suggested they may ignore the findings and recommendations of the Scrutiny Committee:

http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/council_information/media_hub/media_releases/walking-routes-to-schools.aspx

Despite protestations from myself and local Bollington councillors, the Cabinet are not considering the matter during their September meeting. This is disappointing as it prolongs the wait for families with regards to this very important decision. A representative for the leader of the Cabinet has indicated that the matter will be discussed at the October meeting which is set to take place on Tuesday 18th October Committee Suite 1,2 & 3, Westfields, Middlewich Road, Sandbach CW11 1HZ. The start time will be 2pm.

As with the Scrutiny Committee in July, I am proposing that we send a group of students and parents to the meeting in order to demonstrate the strength of feeling against these proposals. Again, we intend to provide transport free of charge to the event.

In the meantime, it is crucial that we continue to apply pressure on Cabinet members so that they make a sensible decision on the matter.

I am urging you to write to members of the cabinet and make your feelings known about the proposals. Here are some points that you could stress in your letters:

1. This decision is a risk to the personal safety of young people.In 2013 when the council last proposed to withdraw funding for the Tytherington School bus from Bollington, The Suzy Lamplugh Trust, a charity set up to champion personal safety, were categorical in their view that the Middlewood Way could not be considered a safe route to use as a regular walking route to school. The physical nature of the Middlewood Way (an isolated, linear trail along a re-commissioned railway line, with 30 foot banks either side, and for the most part nowhere near roads, houses, shops, or any other buildings) does not allow a person to escape attack.
2. A Freedom of Information Request on incidents reported to the police about the Middlewood Way reveal that there is an incident every 20 days on average. (84 incidences over Jan-12 to Jun-16 = 1642 days). And that is just the ones the police are aware of! These range from drugs, to incidents of violence and violation of bail conditions.
3. If the decision to withdraw the bus is upheld, we face the prospect of many teenage pupils travelling from Bollington taking a shortcut to Tytherington across the A523, a busy dual carriageway with a 70mph speed limit, no pavements and no controlled crossing point, or even using the A523 itself because it is shorter.
4. There is no practical access to the Middlewood Way for the emergency services. In the event of a serious incident, anyone affected is at greater risk in this area. Even if parents were to accompany their children to school, this would represent a risk.
5. The Local Authority claim that the Middlewood Way is a safe walking route if youngsters are accompanied by their parents. It is not reasonable for parents to walk nearly 12miles every day to accompany their children to and from school.
6. On Monday 11th July, many Bollington parents drove their children into school rather than take the school bus so that we could review the impact of increased traffic in the area. There was a significant increase in the level of traffic around school.
7. There are often times in the year when the Middlewood Way is inaccessible owing to bad weather conditions.

Please write and e-mail the local authority cabinet members to let your voices be heard. The details can be found on this link:

http://www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/your_council/cabinet_members/cabinet_members.aspx

We will continue to fight on your behalf.

Yours sincerely
Emmanuel Botwe
Headteacher