North Lanarkshire Council approves £1m upgrade to school walking routes

North Lanarkshire Council has approved more than £1m of investment to improve walking routes for school pupils.

It follows strong criticism from parents over the safety, condition and length of routes deemed suitable by the council.

Hundreds of children were affected when the free school bus eligibility threshold was raised from two to three miles, leaving some pupils walking more than an hour to get to school.

Among them is 13-year-old Jacob Shaw.

His mother, Sarah Shaw, said: “Between myself, my husband, my sister, and friends, we are using flexi time, annual leave, and every bit of support we can to arrange lift shares.”

Jacob, who attends Cumbernauld Academy, lives just under three miles from the school. His mother described the walk as “steep and treacherous,” pointing to only one pedestrian crossing along 16 road crossings, damaged footpaths, poor lighting and sections through secluded woodland.

Following a review, the council has signed off a £1.05m project to improve 46 routes. The plans include £860,000 for new lighting, £141,000 for footpath upgrades, and £54,000 for widening works.

But the work is not expected to be finished until August 2026.

A council spokesperson said: “The current walking routes did not ‘fail’ as they still meet national guidance. However, following discussions, the council decided to enhance the quality and standard of our routes.

“These improvements are based on new standards set by the council, not national guidance.”

Emma Ross, whose 12-year-old son Nathan also walks just under three miles to Cumbernauld Academy, said bus services must be reinstated.

“The routes are still not currently safe, they are badly maintained and overgrown.

“Until these issues are properly addressed, buses should be reinstated to get our children safely to and from school,” she said.

While the council’s investment is aimed at improving safety, parents say children face risks now and argue reinstating buses is the only way to ensure safe journeys until 2026.