Schools win cycle parking funding

Twelve Leicestershire schools have been selected to share £55,000 to fund secure bicycle parking.

The county council invited more than 100 schools to make a case for the cash in a bid to encourage more children to cycle to school.

Schools in central Leicestershire and Loughborough were chosen due to high levels of congestion in those areas.

School children will help design the parking bays as well as monitor their success at boosting cycling.

The authority also offers training so children will be safer on the roads.

Lesley Pendleton, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transportation at the County Council, said: "We have chosen to concentrate on areas that have high levels of congestion.

"By installing secure cycle parking we hope that many more school children will be encouraged to ride their bikes to school.

"School children will have a chance to get involved with the design of the cycle parking, and they will help us with monitoring the success of the cycle parking after the installation."