Shock as school's pupils told canal towpath is 'safe' route to walk home as Shropshire Council withdraws transport
Children attending a Shropshire school have been told by a council it is safe to walk home along a canal towpath as the authority says it will be withdrawing its transport service for new pupils.
Last week Shropshire Council wrote to a number of parents from the village of Weston Rhyn, whose children attend the nearby St Martins School.
Up until now pupils who live in Weston Rhyn and attend the school have been provided with transport to and from the school - because the route had been assessed as "unsafe" for children walking home.
But, in its letter the council says that any new pupils will no longer be provided transport, with them now expected to walk between the 3-16 school, and their homes - even if their siblings are still provided free transport.
The authority says it has taken the decision because the route has been "re-assessed" and an alternative route has been identified which it says is safe.
The route deemed safe by the council takes youngsters from Rhosweil Canal Bridge, along the canal towpath, before joining St Martins Road.
The letter states: "I am writing to you, as your child currently receives free transport to St Martins School on the Unsafe Walking Route grounds.
"This entitlement was granted because the walking route between your home and the school was previously assessed as unsafe, with no alternative safe route within the statutory walking distance of three miles.
"I am writing to let you know that a new alternative walking route has now been identified.
"This route - from Rhoseweil Canal Bridge, along the canal towpath, and then joining St Martins Road - was not part of the original assessment. It has now been independently reviewed, and the assessors have confirmed that this route is safe to walk."
Local Shropshire Councillor Carl Rowley has reacted with dismay at the proposal, calling for an immediate review and warning the change would represent a failure of safeguarding.
Under the new policy existing pupils who already receive the transport will continue to receive it up until they finish year 11, but any new year sevens will be denied the transport - along with any siblings of those already accessing the transport.
Councillor Rowley said: "For decades, children in Weston Rhyn have received free school transport due to the well‑documented dangers of the route to St Martins, including the hazardous Gledrid roundabout crossing and the absence of a continuous footway.
"Instead of addressing these longstanding safety issues, the council is now claiming that a secluded canal towpath is an acceptable alternative."
He added: “How can anyone believe a canal towpath is safe for schoolchildren?”
Cllr Rowley has condemned the decision as "dangerous, irresponsible, and completely indefensible".
He added: "How can this possibly be considered safe? We are talking about young children walking along a narrow, unlit canal edge, often alone, away from the public eye, with a very real risk of falling into deep water.
"Many children in our community cannot swim. This is beyond unacceptable — it is a safeguarding failure.”
He added: “Towpaths were never designed as school walking routes. There is no passive surveillance, no lighting, no protective barrier, and no way for a child to get help if something goes wrong. Shropshire Council must immediately explain who carried out this so‑called assessment and on what basis they concluded it was safe.”
Cllr Rowley called for the immediate suspension of the new walking‑route classification.
He said: "Parents have been blindsided. Shropshire Council has a statutory duty to keep children safe. Sending pupils down a canal towpath does the exact opposite.”
Andy Hall, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children and education, said: "Shropshire Council recently commissioned an independent reassessment of the walking routes between Weston Rhyn and St Martins School. This review confirmed that while the original roadside route remains unsuitable, an alternative route has been identified which provides an available walking route for accompanied pupils in line with our statutory duty.
“Importantly, this update does not affect any children currently receiving free transport on historic unsafe route grounds, whose entitlement will continue until the end of Year 11. The revised assessment simply ensures that future applications are assessed using the most up-to-date information and supports our policy to maintain fairness and consistency across the county."
