SAFETY improvements on routes to schools is a top priority for Whitehill Town Council which hopes to arrange a meeting with local headteachers.

At Monday's planning and amenities committee, town councillor Ian Dowdle said that he had been in contact with a district council safety officer who had informed him of extra cash to improve routes most commonly used by school children.

"Firstly the school has to carry out a survey on how the children are coming to school" he explained.

"Part of that survey is finding out what direction the children are coming from and then to look at what routes can be improved and try to make it safer for the children who walk or cycle to school.

"Part of the survey will also look at what obstacles the children face who don't walk or cycle to school, for instance, no safe cycle-storage place.

"When that has been done then they can apply to the county council and EHDC for funding through this safe routes to school scheme.

"I have spoken to the new officer at EHDC and he was quite willing to come and give a presentation to us about this."

Mr Dowdle said that his contact at the district council had helped get a safe-routes-to- school scheme off the ground in Horndean which had been a success.

Clerk Linda Tiley pointed out that, because it was schools which had to make any funding application, if local head teachers were not on board then the scheme would be a non-starter.

However, Mr Dowdle said that it was vital that the town council gets involved as well because it was unfair to expect the schools to do all the work.

Mrs Tiley said that the town council had already helped to pay for street light down Mill Chase Road for the benefit of the schoolchildren and said that a new survey may help identify other projects the town council take up.

Neil Ockenden suggested the EHDC officer be invited to give a presentation and headteachers be invited to attend.

"It is a public meeting. If they wish to turn up then that is their choice, if they don't then that is their choice too" he said.

However, councillors on the committee felt it would be more appropriate for the full council to endorse the presentation.

The committee agreed to recommend to the next full council meeting on July 30 that the presentation take place.