Children given say on project

Feb 15 2006 By Steve Johnson, Birmingham Mail

WALSALL Council is giving youngsters at a borough primary school the opportunity to carry out their own wildlife and environmental study as part of a project to improve safety along a key transport route.

Children from Park Hall Junior School are conducting an on-site environmental survey of the hedgerow and trees along the A34 Birmingham Road as part of their school work.

A class of eight-year-olds will log plants and animals in and around the hedge in front of Newmore Gardens as part of improvements to the Red Route into the borough.

Their findings will form part of work to re-instate the hedge once improvements have been made to boost safety at the 'staggered' junction between Bell Road, Walstead Road and the busy A34.

The children have already carried out their own on-site traffic survey of the junction.

Park Hall headteacher Pete Griffin said: "This is an excellent opportunity for our children to get to grips with their urban environment and also learn more about road safety."

The children's surveys are part of the first phase of improvements along the Birmingham Road to make it safer - the first stage of improvement to all aspects of travel along the link into Walsall.

Paddock ward councillors Zahid Ali, Rose Martin and Barry Sanders have been talking to residents living next to the junction to discuss the plans and explain safety and transport benefits the project will bring.

Coun Ali said: "It is important we involve people who use this route and live along it - particularly children and their parents - so they can understand the benefits the improvements will bring to their communities.

"As part of Walsall Council's vision for a better borough, we want to make it easier for people to travel within Walsall and across the West Midlands with a range of imaginative means to eliminate unnecessary car journeys."

Dual carriageway will replace existing single-lane approaches to the junction along the A34, along with traffic lights and moving Bell Road so it is in line with Walstead Road - decreasing the risk of accidents.

Preliminary clearance work should start this month, with improvements completed by the summer.

The work is part of a project to create faster journeys and safer traffic conditions along the Route 51 into Walsall - including Bus Showcase and Red Route improvements.