New running track made from recycled road now in use at Criftins CE Primary School

The new running track at Criftins CE Primary Schol

A new running track made from a recycled Shropshire road is now in use at Criftins CE Primary School near Ellesmere.

Constructed using recycled road planings from the resurfacing of the B4499 Hogstow Bank near Minsterley, it’s the first of 15 such tracks being built at primary schools across Shropshire to help children meet the Daily Mile Challenge to walk or run a mile every day.

Criftins pupils try out the school’s new running track

A second track is already underway at Cockshutt Primary School, and this is set to be completed and in use by 25 January 2019.

Construction of the tracks has been made possible thanks to the government’s ‘sugar tax’ and the efforts of staff from Shropshire Council, WSP and Kier – partners in the Shropshire Highways alliance. Click here for more information.

Construction of the track at Criftins began in early December 2018. Markings are due to be painted on the track shortly, and this will be done at the same time as the markings are painted on the Cockshutt running track.

Work is underway on the new running track at Cockshutt CE Primary School

The 15 tracks will be constructed from a total of 1500 tonnes of recycled Shropshire roads. In each case the track will be made of unwanted materials from road maintenance work being carried out close to the school.

In addition, a number of improvements to each school’s facilities will also be carried out while the tracks are being constructed, including maintaining forest schools, maintaining school gardens, refreshing playground markings, repairing raised plant beds, and repainting car park markings.

In total, 4000 children are set to benefit from the project, which will enable each child to walk or run a total of 285km in each academic year, at a cost of just £1.30 per pupil per year.

The idea for the tracks came about earlier this year when Shropshire Council received £226,572 from the Healthy Pupils Capital Fund (HPCF) – which is funded through the ‘sugar tax’ grant. Of the total grant, £105,000 was set aside to provide school running tracks – to help children meet the ‘Daily Mile challenge’ to walk or run a mile every day.

Nick Bardsley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for children’s services, said:

“I’m delighted that the first track is now in use at Criftins, with a second to be completed shortly at Cockshutt Primary, and a further thirteen to follow in the coming months. The tracks really will provide the schools with health and educational learning benefits for their pupils, in terms of both physical and mental well-being.

Steve Davenport, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for highways and transport, said:

“I want to thank everyone involved for helping to make these running tracks a reality. It’s brilliant that our partners WSP and Kier are donating time and materials to aid children’s fitness, and that we can put our old and unwanted road materials to such good use.

“I know that WSP, Kier and their subcontractors Tarmac and L & R Roadlines, are thrilled to bring their expertise to this fantastic project. Whilst the construction of the tracks is reasonably straightforward, the real challenge has been the logistics of linking the construction of the tracks to Shropshire’s highway maintenance programme. This has required meticulous planning and close collaboration between all parties. By constructing the tracks in this way, we have been able to provide, on average a 60% cost saving, making the grant go further and requiring no additional financial input from the schools themselves.”

Further information

Regular updates about the progress of the running tracks project can be found at www.shropshire.gov.uk.

 The 15 schools that will be getting a new running track are:

• • Oakmeadow CE Primary & Nursery School, Bayston Hill
  • Church Preen Primary School
  • Cockshutt CE Primary School & Nursery
  • Christ Church CE Primary School, Cressage
  • Criftins CE Primary School
  • Highley Community Primary School
  • Kinnerley CE Primary School
  • Market Drayton Infant School & Nursery
  • Market Drayton Junior School
  • Lower Heath CE Primary School
  • Shifnal Primary School
  • Harlescott Junior School
  • St George’s Junior School, Shrewsbury
  • St Peter’s CE Primary & Nursery School, Wem
  • Woore Primary & Nursery School

Work at each school will coincide with highways maintenance work nearby, enabling the material to be quickly and easily transported to the school.

A further 29 schools have received Sugar Tax funding to spend on other related activity.

Key facts

The following figures give an indication of both the complexity and scale of the project that is to be undertaken:

• A total of 4132m of running track will be constructed using
  • • 8km of timber edging used, along with
    • 5500 wooden pegs and
    • 1500 tonnes of recycled carriageway
• A total of 4000 children across Shropshire will benefit from the tracks, allowing each child to walk or run a total of 285km in the academic year. With a minimum 20 year design life, the cost of providing this is only £1.30 per child per year.