CHILDREN were given the chance to sow the seeds of the future this week as they took part in a new project to link Wichelstowe with the town centre.

Children from Robert Le Kyng Primary School, with the help of Swindon Borough Council’s Streetsmart team, planted around 200 bulbs close to the Cambria Bridge play area on Tuesday.

The play park forms part of the route for the soon to be refurbished Southern Flyer cycle and pedestrian pathway which will open next year.

The Southern Flyer, which is around three miles long, will join up West Leaze in Wichelstowe with Farnsby Street in the town centre.

The route will take in Peglars Way, Beavans Bridge, Wootton Bassett Road, Turner Street, Joseph Street and Canal Walk.

Funding of £716,000 has been secured for the cycle route from the Government’s Local Sustainable Transport Fund and work is expected to start in January.

The route will be resurfaced and widened, existing road markings will be repainted and new ones added, while the scheme will also include new street furniture, new posts, wayfinding plinths, improved lighting and tree planting.

The aim of the scheme is to deliver a safe, direct and continuous cycle-pedestrian route from Wichelstowe to Swindon Town Centre in to encourage people to shift towards cycling and walking and leave the car at home.

The project to plant flowers at the Cambria Bridge section of the cycle path is part of a partnership project involving Robert Le Kyng Primary, the Council’s Highways and Central Locality teams as well as the Town Centre Neighbourhood Policing Team.

Southern Flyer project manager Heather Lane said: “It is very important to have the young people involved, it helps them to appreciate their surroundings and hopefully take care and pride in it as they have been part of doing something to improve it.”

The pupils, who received a police escort to the park, helped plant more than 200 bulbs, a mixture of crocuses, daffodils and other spring flowers.

Class teacher Linda McEntee said: “This is a great opportunity to get the children out of the classroom and into the fresh air and taking part in a community project. This is a real community area that most of these children will use themselves.”

Cllr Dale Heenan, Swindon Borough Council’s cabinet member for sustainability and transport, said: “Swindon’s population will increase significantly over the next 15 to 20 years which is why we are upgrading our road network in order to cope with the expected increase in traffic.

“However, it is also vital that we do all we can to promote sustainable forms of transport so I am really pleased we have managed to secure the funding to upgrade this route and provide people living in Wichelstowe with an alternative route into the town centre which is both safe and direct.

“I would also like to thank the children from Robert Le Kyng for offering to spruce up the local area along the route as the bulbs they plant will begin to flower just as the upgraded path is completed in the spring.”