We, the undersigned residents of the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead and surrounding areas, hereby submit this petition under the provisions of the Local Government Act 2000 and the council’s statutory duty to promote the health, safety, and wellbeing of children and young people, as well as its obligations under the Highways Act 1980, the Education Act 1996, and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Holyport College is located on Ascot Road (A330) — a high-speed, 40mph road that currently lacks:

A continuous pedestrian footway
Dedicated cycle infrastructure
Adequate and enforceable traffic calming or crossing measures
This road presents a clear and ongoing danger to pupils and other vulnerable road users who attempt to access the school on foot or by bicycle. A short 20mph zone exists near the entrance, but there is no effective enforcement, and compliance is minimal.

Despite the school being only a 10-minute walk from many local homes, parents are left with no safe option but to drive or pay for expensive school transport – currently £111 per child, per half term, totalling £666 per child, per academic year. For a single-parent household with multiple children attending the school, this represents a significant financial burden and inequality of access.

This situation constitutes a failure to meet legal obligations under the following frameworks:

Highways Act 1980, Section 39: Requires the local authority to take steps to reduce road danger and promote safe travel, especially for vulnerable users.
Education Act 1996, Section 508B: Imposes a duty on local authorities to ensure safe and reasonable access to school for eligible children.
UNCRC Articles 3, 24 and 28: The council must act in the best interests of the child, protect their right to health (which includes access to safe environments), and ensure equal access to education.
Equality Act 2010: There is a disproportionate impact on families with lower incomes or without access to private transport, which may constitute indirect discrimination.
 
We therefore respectfully call upon the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead to:

Commission and construct a continuous pedestrian footway and/or segregated cycle route along Ascot Road, from Holyport village to Holyport College
Implement enforceable 20mph speed limits with traffic-calming infrastructure in the school vicinity
Install safe pedestrian crossings at appropriate points along the route
Engage with parents, students, and local stakeholders in a formal consultation to develop a Safe Routes to School strategy
Apply for funding via the Active Travel Fund or other Department for Transport grants where necessary
 
The failure to provide a safe walking and cycling route to Holyport College poses a significant and avoidable risk to children’s safety, health, and educational access. It is incumbent upon the council, as duty bearer, to act in accordance with the law and its own public health and transport policy commitments.

We, the undersigned, urge you to treat this matter as a priority and to initiate remedial action without further delay.