Walk to school month

October is International Walk to School Month. The aim of the campaign is to promote walking as a way to improve yours and your kids’ health, while also thinking of the environment.

But there is one thing that stops a lot of families from walking – the number of cars on the road around many UK schools. According to research carried out by Living Streets and YouGov, 54 per cent thought that there are too many cars around school gates. Half found that cars parking on pavements is the most annoying thing about walking to school while 45 per cent thought that there is too much traffic on the journey to school.

Motor vehicles are the biggest source of air pollution and one in four cars on the road at peak times are on the school run. As a result, over 2,000 primary schools in the UK are situated in pollution hot spots, putting pupils’ health at risk.

One solution, if you’re looking for a new home, is to find new developments that are within safe walking distance of local schools.

Most of our developments are situated within easy reach of schools - here are six as an example:

• Collingham Brook – John Blow Primary School is within walking distance of this new development in the Nottinghamshire village of Collingham.
• Farriers Reach, Oakham – There are a number of state and independent schools in Oakham that are within walking distance of our new development at Farriers Reach. These include Catmose Primary School, Oakham C of E Primary School, Brooke Priory School and Harington School.
• Whittlesey Green, Whittlesey– The Alderman Jacobs Primary School and Harry Smith Community College are close to our Whittlesey Green development.
• Gretton Valley, Weldon – The development is in Priors Hall Park Corby. As part of the wider development a nursery, pre-school, primary and secondary schools are being built, which will all be within walking distance of Gretton Valley.
• Thorney Meadows, Thorney – The Duke of Bedford Primary School is within walking distance of this development.

Currently just 53 per cent of children in England walk to school according to the National Travel Survey. This is down from a generation ago, when 70 per cent of children used to walk to school.

Living Streets currently works in over 2,000 schools across the UK to increase the number of children walking to school through WOW – the year-round walk to school challenge. WOW schools walk to school rates have increased by 23 per cent on average with a corresponding drop in cars around the school gates. Quite a result!

At Larkfleet Homes we are keen on delivering living communities, not just housing developments. That’s why our developments are situated in locations close to amenities such as shops and schools to provide a home for all the family. Will you walk to school this October?