The Scholars Greenway

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Proposal

For a cross-town, attractive and safe route which school children, parents and students would use to cycle and walk to school and college.  The route would link the University College for the Creative Arts, four Farnham schools and the Disability Challengers campus.   This Greenway would also support leisure use and provide a commuter corridor parallel to, but avoiding, West Street, East Street and the Hale Road.  Extended from an existing, traffic free, section through Farnham Park, the Greenway would introduce cycle and pedestrian friendly facilities at busy roads.

Route

Starting at Potters Gate by the Primary School, the route follows Falkner Road past the University College for the Creative Arts, travels behind Waitrose along Long Garden Way before crossing Castle Street and entering Farnham Park.   The main section in Farnham Park is built to run as a mixed use, traffic free path along the lower (south) side of the Park, continuing between houses as far as the Six Bells Pub on the Hale Road.  From here the route runs by the side of Hale Road, crossing the A325 at the Six Bells Roundabout before proceeding along Weybourne Road to link Heath End, William Cobbett and All Hallows Schools.

Benefits

• Promote Independence

  Learning independence and self reliance builds up the confidence of young people and is an critical aspect of growing up.  In a society where car ownership is viewed as ubiquitous, young people under 17 or unable to afford a car have fewer opportunities for independent travel.  The Scholars Greenway would address this by providing a safe and attractive corridor that young people, and their parents, would feel confident and happy to use.  Parents could also benefit: freeing them from the school run or alternatively, getting the physical exercise from accompanying their children on foot or bicycle.

• Provide an Alternative to School Run Traffic

  Traffic congestion is arguably Farnham's biggest problem and is exacerbated in term time by extra 'school run' traffic and the queues of cars dropping off and picking up outside schools.  As well as directly reducing the need for some peak time car journeys, the Scholars Greenway would provide the backbone to which other Safe Route to School measures could be linked.

• Encourage Healthy Habits

  A healthy start to life is essential if today's young are to enjoy long, active lives.  The TV series 'Jamie's school dinners' highlighted the role of diet in in tackling childhood obesity but this is only half of the equation.  Young people also need physical activity to help protect them from diabetes, heart disease and strokes in adult life.  The Scholars Greenway would promote regular walking and cycling, excellent forms of physical activity which would also improve alertness and attention at school or college.

• Environment

  Travel by car during the school run is rarely an enjoyable experience.  A Greenway route linking Long Garden Walk, Farnham Park and Weybourne Road offers a quiet, pleasant travelling environment.  Journeys via the Greenway will also avoid the production of local air pollution and green house gas emissions.  In addition, those using the Greenway will bypass the worst areas of local air pollution, particularly nitrogen oxides gases, along West Street, the Borough, East Street and the Hale Road.

Status

Much of the route along the west and central sections already exists but requires signage and legal access through Long Garden Walk and Farnham Park.  The eastern secton, linking the three schools in Weybourne, will require more work, particularly at the hazardous and intimidating Six Bells Roundabout crossing of the A325.

The Scholars Greenway proposal is being taken forward with political support at Town, Borough and County levels.  Unfotrtunately this support has translated in to a premature signing of the westerly end of the route even though clonflict points at Park Row and the entrance to Farnham Park have not been resolved.  Surrey Councy Council officers have also decided to ignore non-cyclist user groups and sign the route as a Cycleway and not a Greenway.

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