Parents question 'safe' school walking route

5 hours ago

Clare Wordenin Sculthorpe

News image — Steve Gibson said the suggested walking route to the school, which crosses two A roads, is unsuitable for children

Clare Worden/BBC A man wearing a black t-shirt stands in front of a two lane road. The grass and vegetation on the sides of the road are dried out because there has been so little rain. There is a car pulling a trailer in the background. — Steve Gibson said the suggested walking route to the school, which crosses two A roads, is unsuitable for children

A walk-to-school route which crosses two A-roads meets national road safety guidelines, a council has told concerned parents.

Children from Sculthorpe, Norfolk, attending Fakenham Academy are not being given free bus passes by Norfolk County Council.

But parents said the suggested walking route would take 45 minutes and is dangerous - with a cyclist killed crossing a road on the route in August 2025.

Larry Southerland, whose youngest child is due to start at the secondary school next year, said: "I'm disgusted with it."

Clare Worden/BBC Image shows a two lane road with a traffic island in the middle which is where pedestrians should cross. There is an orange cone on the island to add to the visibility. — The A148 road between Sculthorpe and Fakenham has a 50mph limit

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The suggested route from Sculthorpe to the school is around 1.5 miles (2.4km) and crosses both the A148 and A1065. The A148 is a 50mph road and the route includes roads with no pavements.

Steve Gibson's daughter attends the school.

He said: "It just doesn't seem a sensible option, to say 'that's fine, it's the right distance, you can walk'.

"I work full-time, my wife works full-time, it's about a 45-minute walk one way.

"It's not practical to walk so we can drive but there's already a traffic issue at the school."

Gibson said there are a number of buses that connect the village to the school, but paying for a pass would cost £580 a year.

Larry Southerland has three children. Two were given free bus passes while they attended the school so he was surprised that his youngest child will not be offered the same when they start there.

"You don't live somewhere rural and expect all the amenities that you get if you live in a town centre," he added.

"But the arguments they're putting across that the route is safe are just not valid."

Clare Worden/BBC A man looks at the camera while wearing glasses and a navy sweatshirt. He is standing in front of a two lane road with bushes and vegetation either side. — Larry Southerland said he does not feel like the route is safe for his children to use alone

The council has a policy outlining who is entitled to support with school transport.

It said parents who were not given council funded transport could appeal against the decision.

A spokesperson added: "The route has been assessed in accordance with national road safety guidelines and took into consideration all things within that guidance including road crossing assessments and accident records."

When asked about whether or not the criteria for free bus passes had changed in this case, they said: "We regularly review eligibility and routes - what was in place for one child previously may not be the case now."