'Overgrown paths not a safe school route for our children'

Parents said a footpath overgrown with foliage had been declared a 'safe route' for children to use to get to school

Parents whose children were denied a free school bus pass accused a council of not caring about their safety.

They said their children, who live in Oakington, Cambridgeshire, and attend Impington Village College, have been told to instead walk along pathways overgrown with weeds.

The route also took them next to a guided busway, which was yet to get a safety fence.

Cambridgeshire County Council said safety on its roads and footpaths was a "key priority" for the authority.

It said the route was considered safe, but urged those using it to be "conscious of their surroundings".

Kelly Gray and Clare Wale have raised safety concerns about the route children were expected to take to school

Many children in Oakington were given a pass to get a bus to Impington.

However, the authority does not provide free transport to secondary school if pupils live within 3 miles of the school "via the shortest available safe walking route".

Some parents whose children have been denied passes said they do not believe the walking route put forward by the county council was safe.

Kelly Gray said her daughter was initially refused a bus pass, even though her home does not have a footpath in front of it.

"I appealed on the basis that the guided bus route was not what I considered a safe route," she said.

"I went along taking photos, showing that most... was covered in plants. This is despite the claim that it is maintained."

She also said the paths in Oakington were constantly overgrown and were not wide enough.

"Part of the route is not even a proper pathway," she added.

She feared the county council would not change its mind about the route to school "until one child gets hit by a bus".

Parent Clare Wale said she did not believe it was a safe route for school children

Clare Wale said her eldest son was given a bus pass by the authority the whole time he attended Impington Village College.

However, when she applied for a pass for her younger son, she said his application was rejected as he lived under 3 miles from the school.

Ms Wale said: "We didn't understand, we still had the same address.

"We got to the appeal, and basically they said it was a mistake that my eldest son got the bus pass.

"I asked 'how is it a mistake, please can you explain', but they couldn't give us an explanation because they said they had now changed their systems and could not look back at why they had given a pass."

Responding to the parents' concerns, a county council spokesperson said it believed the walking route from the village to the school was safe.

"Safety on our roads and footpaths is a key priority for the council.

"Scheduled maintenance of the path in question is due to be carried out before the new school term starts, with growth also having been cut back in April.

"While we consider this route to be safe, we would urge all path users to be conscious of their surroundings and treat each other with respect and care."