Improvement to footpath on B471 Whitchurch Hill

I am writing as a resident of Whitchurch Hill to request that the footpath between our homes and the local school bus stop be inspected and considered for regular maintenance during the winter months.

The footpath is used by local families, including my own, as the primary walking route to the school bus stop for Whitchurch Primary School. During the winter, however, the path becomes extremely muddy and difficult to use safely. It is so uneven large puddles form which would go up past the top of a welly and is not suitable for young children to walk on.

This is not just affecting my family. My next-door neighbours also have children who use the same bus stop to travel to Langtree Secondary School. During the winter they currently drive their children the very short distance to the bus stop because they do not feel the footpath is safe enough for them to walk.

As a community, we would much prefer for children to be able to walk safely to the bus stop rather than making unnecessary car journeys. We believe that maintaining this route would improve safety, encourage walking, and reduce local traffic around the bus stop during school drop-off times. From our houses we also have to cross the very busy B471 on a blind corner so this also makes this route particularly difficult.

I would be grateful if the footpath could be inspected and considered for inclusion in the council’s winter maintenance or inspection programme. If there are any improvements that could be made to drainage, vegetation management, or the surface of the path to make it usable throughout the winter, I would be very appreciative if these could be considered.