Cash boost will increase safety (From Penarth Times)

Cash boost will increase safety

PENARTH children are set to benefit thanks to a £887,500 cash windfall to improve highways in the Vale.

The National Assembly funding includes £850,000 to repair roads in the Vale, and £37,500 to employ a child safety co-ordinator within the authority to work with schools.

The money is part of a £25 million package unveiled by the Minister for the Environment, Sue Essex, last Friday to tackle road repairs and maintenance across Wales.

Officers at the Vale council are currently preparing a list of the schemes which should be carried out with the money, though details of these have not been released.

This list will be submitted to the authority's cabinet for discussion. According to a council spokesman, £457,000 of the highways money will be spent on projects during this financial year, while the rest will be kept for the financial year 2002/3.

The new child safety co-ordinator will be employed to work closely with schools to help educate youngsters in road safety.

They will complement work already being undertaken - through the Assembly's own safe routes to schools scheme. Last week the Penarth Times revealed that Evenlode Primary would be involved in this scheme.

Penarth's Assembly Member Lorraine Barrett said: "This money has been badly needed in Penarth. The council-maintained road network has been in a poor state of repair in many areas, due to under-funding over a long period.

"The deteriorating state of roads and pavements in Wales has been a major concern for pedestrians and motorists alike. I'm also glad to see a child safety co-ordinator introduced into each authority who will work closely with schools to help educate children in principles of road safety."