PLANS to encourage the uptake of active travel options to Wee County schools are being boosted by paths constructed around Lornshill Academy.

As part of the activities to encourage young people to walk, cycle or wheel when schools return amid easing lockdown restrictions, work has been progressing on two paths to link the academy with Glenochil and Sauchie.

Councillor Graham Lindsay, spokesman for education, recently visited the paths along with young people and staff to see the progress made.

He said: "I am delighted this new pathway will make it easier and safer for young people to walk and cycle particularly on their journeys to school, as we transition out of lockdown.

"The new active travel path will be a permanent and positive legacy of this difficult period our communities are going through and we hope will herald a new awareness of how we can collectively build on the active living and health and well being agenda for young people as we move out of Covid."

The paths are being constructed as part of a range of works funded through the Spaces for People and Places for Everyone initiatives as well as through Clackmannanshire Council's capital programme, with a combined investment of £550,000.

All schemes, which include pavement enhancements and speed limits put in place, are to allow people to safely move around with coronavirus restrictions easing.

The paths to Lornshill are also supporting school transport plans, with final guidance to come from Scottish Government on the issue at the end of July.

A scientific advisory sub-group at the government has also issued advice last week on matters relating to the safe return to education.

The advisory paper, which is helping to inform the final guidance to be issued in around a week's time, made clear that "as far as it is safe to do so, children and their parents or carers should be encouraged to travel to school on foot, bike or scooter".

A separate paper is also suggesting that if the virus continues to be suppressed in Scotland, there will be no physical distancing between children in schools.

Adults, such as teachers, should stick to the two metre distance, however.

The advisory sub-group added: "Dedicated school transport should be regarded as an extension of the school estate and physical distancing measures between pupils are not necessary, subject to

continued low levels of infection within Scotland.

"We recognise that school transport will involve mixed age groups of pupils, but still consider the risk of transmission to be acceptably low when mitigations are in place."

However, scientists added that drivers and staff on public transport and "to a lesser extent" on school transport are at "relatively higher risk of exposure" and so "particular attention" should be paid to protect them.

Depending on how the situation evolves, precautions could be relaxed or strengthened.