William Cobbett Primary School in Farnham is set to benefit from a new ‘Park and Stride’ facility aimed at enhancing student safety.

The school will receive a share of Surrey County Council’s £3 million funding scheme for road safety improvements.

The investment will go towards installing a signal-controlled pedestrian crossing on a raised table, along with improved pedestrian access to support the initiative.

The ‘Park and Stride’ scheme enables families who live further away to experience the benefits of walking to school. Parents can park at a designated location away from the school and complete the journey on foot, helping to reduce congestion and improve safety around the school gates.

The funding means children and parents can have a safer school run, a Surrey County Council has said.

The county council hopes it will encourage more walking, cycling, and other sustainable ways of getting to school.

Cllr Matt Furniss, cabinet member for highways, transport and economic growth said: “Making routes to and from schools safer for children, parents and carers, is a key priority for both the council and local residents.

“I am delighted that with the support of the local schools and the wider community, we have been able to deliver more safety improvement schemes outside our schools, as part of our commitment to making journeys to school safer.”

Thirteen other schools across the districts and boroughs will receive the funding including:

Elmbridge

  • St Albans School: a zebra crossing on an existing raised table, narrowing of the junction with Seymour Road with another raised table (raised section of road, with a ramp on both sides) to reduce speeds, and a 20mph limit.
  • Cobham Free School (Infant Site): A widened pavement outside the school entrance, and improved pedestrian facilities to the existing signalised pedestrian crossing.

Epsom and Ewell

  • Riverview Primary School: Improved pedestrian accessibility with a 20mph limit.

Guildford

  • Tormead School: A zebra crossing on a raised road table, with footpath improvements.
  • Puttenham C of E Infant School: Footpath improvements with a 20mph speed limit through the village.
  • St Pauls Primary School: 20mph limit with footway improvements.
  • Walsh Infants and Juniors: A signal crossing on a raised table.

Reigate and Banstead

  • Warren Mead Infant School: Pedestrian accessibility improvements.
  • St Josephs Catholic School: A zebra crossing on a raised road table with a widened footpath.

Spelthorne

  • Clarendon Primary School: Introduction of a continuous footpath across the mouth of the cul-de-sac leading to the school entrance to deter drivers using the road.
  • Echelford Primary School: Junction raised table with informal pedestrian crossing measures on all four arms of the crossroad junction.

Tandridge

  • Burstow School: Zebra crossing, footway widening, and parking controls.

Cllr Furniss added: “By investing in these schemes, we are not only improving road safety but also encouraging more active and environmentally friendly modes of transport. We’re also continuing to deliver our Feet First walking training and Bikeability cycling training to provide lifelong road safety skills for Surrey’s school children.”

Another eight schools will benefit from road safety improvements in the next year, the county council added.