Request:
“How many secondary school children in Devon in 2016 have a route assessed as safe to walk that is on a de-restricted road with no street lights and no pavements.”
Response:
Devon County Council does not hold information for how many children in Devon have had a route assessed as safe to walk that is on a de-restricted road with no street lights and no pavements.
The policy on unavailable routes in set out in section 8.23 of the 2017/18 Education Transport Policy:- https://www.devon.gov.uk/educationandfamilies/school-information/school-and-college-transport
Officers from our Transport Coordination Service undertake route walks in both urban and rural communities where a child is under the statutory walking distance to school. Where a route is found to be available to walk, accompanied as necessary, there is an appeals process as set out in Appendix 7 of the policy.
Since 2015, 103 route walks by officers have been recorded. 30 of these were found to be unavailable walking routes and 73 available. 28 of the 73 cases went on to appeal of which Elected Members considered three to be unavailable.