Lighting will help ‘park and stride’

THATCHAM and Cold Ash have benefited from grants to improve community spaces and facilities.

Path lighting will be installed on the path from Spurcroft School’s western entrance to the lit path at Grenadier Gardens.

The project will enable children and parents to use the path safely in autumn and spring term times when the paths and the field are dark.

The project brief is also to encourage school children walking; to allow “park and stride” from the Moorside Centre; and reduce congestion on Beancroft Road, Spurcroft Road and other residential areas.

The grant funding for the project followed bids from Liberal Democrat councillors

Owen

Kessell.

Mr Jeffery said he was pleased that the bid had been accepted and that the project would help improve safety through additional lighting, and by encouraging children to walk to school, possibly from Moorside.

He said: “It might get two, three or four cars out of residential roads and those kids have then got a 200-yard walk to go.

“It’s a nightmare all round there and frankly I can’t work out what we can do.

“It’s a small knock-on benefit. “Any of those mums and dads that we can get to park at Moorside and do park and stride will be removing some of that pressure on the residential roads.

Jeffery

and

Nassar

“And it’s extra lighting for anyone walking across there at night.”

He said the project would cost £11,500, with £5,500 coming from his and Mr Kessell’s bids and £500 supplied by Thatcham Town Council.

Mr Jeffery said he was hopeful that the work would be completed by the autumn.

The Cold Ash Wildlife Allotment Garden has also benefited.

Changes will be made to the garden to enable disabled access and to meet the increased demand for countryside walks.

The project brief says that the garden is a valuable greenspace resource for Cold Ash parish, providing educational opportunities on climate change and wildlife for young people.