Funding crisis cuts STAs

As the charity behind the national walk to school campaign, Living Streets is alarmed to hear that local authorities are considering cutting school travel advisor posts in Spring 2011, when central funding ends as part of the government’s cost-saving activities.
Trade magazine Transport Xtra reported that: “the picture varies across authorities but LTT understands that Devon, the Isle of Wight, West Berkshire, Gloucestershire, Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Norfolk are among councils where school travel plan staff have been given formal notification that their jobs are at risk or that their jobs will end within the current financial year.”

School travel advisors play a vital role in supporting children and their parents to find ways to travel to school that are environmentally friendly, good for the local area and positive for a child’s health.

Chief Executive Tony Armstrong said: “Supporting active travel plans such as walking to school are cost effective measures which local authorities should strive to invest in because it will be cheaper than the long-term cost of obesity from inactivity and poor health from bad air quality due to increased congestion around school gates.”

While some local authorities have justified the decision to stop funding school travel advisor posts on the grounds that school travel plans and active travel is already in existence in their region, Living Streets feel that the ongoing support process is vital in securing delivery.

Published Friday 23 July 2010