Castletownroche National School 6th of October 2016 Castletownroche National School Castletownroche Mallow Co. Cork 14107U

Castletownroche Location Castletownroche National School is located in a rural village dissected by the N72, which is the main road from Mallow to Fermoy. A large number of agricultural machinery and HGVs pass through the village. There are currently 77 students and 5 staff in the school, and students make a big effort to walk, cycle, park & stride and Carpool in order to reduce their CO2 emissions.

What did we do? Assess the walking and cycling routes to school Look for potential “Park & Stride” Locations Look at signage and speed limits Use the Audit to raise awareness with parents and pupils of sustainable travel on the school run.

How did we do it? Maps of the routes Recording sheets Recording devices (timer, measuring tapes, maps) Camera Pencils/Clipboards Analysis sheets

Where did we go? We left the school and headed towards the Main Street, keeping to the footpath and crossing approximately 40 meters above the Stop sign on Close Road. We walked along the opposite side towards Mullavale Estate and turned around to walk back towards the school. At the school we continued up along Close Road until we reached the Village boundary with the 50kph speed limit signs. In total we walked 784 metres.

Summary of our Findings The School ahead warning signs on Close Road do not appear to be working The Historic green water pump is located on the corner of Close Road and Main Street and causes the footpath to narrow considerably There is no official pedestrian crossing in the village The Village has been very successful in their Tidy Towns entries and there are lovely flowers and painted benches at several locations The School ahead flashing sign on the Close Road is obscured by lelandy trees and doesn’t appear to be working.

Recommendations Ask Cork County Council to look at both dynamic School Ahead signs on either side of the school and check the timings of the lights. Be aware that the footpaths narrow in places and may cause people with buggy's or wheelchairs to step out onto the road. There is no official pedestrian crossing and students are advised to walk to an area where there is a clear view of the road, away from the bend. Ask Cork County Council to ask the landowner on the Close Road to cut back their hedge so the dynamic school sign can be seen.

Details of our findings There are excellent wide footpaths in the Village (2.6m) but no official pedestrian crossings Historic Water Pump caused the footpath to narrow to just 16 inches in one place. Be aware of this. There are excellent wide footpaths in the Village (1.85m) There is no official pedestrian crossing on the approach road to the school. The bend is also very blind.

Details of our Findings Are the lights on the Village side of the Road Working? Can Cork County Council Confirm this? The School warning lights on the Close Road side of the school are obscured and it’s not sure if they are working or not. Can Cork County Council Confirm that they are working and ask the land owner to trim back the trees?

Thank You Ellen Murphy emurphy@eeu.antaisce.org 087 9704518 Gillian Nagle Castletownroche NS Castletownroche, Mallow, Co. Cork Castletownrochens@gmail.com 022 26024