New bus shelters to protect vulnerable commuters on busy road
Stockton village sign.Picture: Nick Butcher - Credit: Nick Butcher
A small Norfolk village has received funding to install much-needed bus shelters, which will improve safety for “exposed” residents.
Stockton, near Beccles, has been awarded £1,000 from energy provider Calor’s Rural Community Fund to build the shelters along the A146 Norwich Road.
The aim of the fund is to provide off-grid communities with the opportunity to improve local life.
A Calor spokesman said: “The A146 Norwich Road is a very busy road and the bus stops are completely exposed to the elements.
“School and college children use the buses daily, as do many elderly people to access doctors, the hospital and shops, as there are none of these facilities in Stockton.”
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The Calor grant will go towards the concrete bases for the shelters.
Ailsa Pringle, a Stockton parish volunteer, explained how important the bus shelters would be for the village.
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She said: “Following the death of one of our school boys alighting from a bus four years ago, the village has been raising money to provide a refuge from the traffic for our vulnerable residents.
“Calor’s generosity means that we can provide a safe place for our villagers to wait, protecting them from both the weather and dangers of the unrestricted A road.
“The fumes and spray from the fast traffic make waiting for buses quite a hazard, so a partial glass wall in front of them would protect them from these.”
The community scheme, which has donated £50,000 in total, has provided funding for 21 different projects around the country.
Paul Blacklock, Calor’s corporate affairs manager, added: “As a rural energy provider, we understand that country living can be challenging and access to community facilities can be especially difficult.
“We set up the Calor Rural Community Fund to be able to give something back to these rural communities, and this year we were inundated by a number of deserving projects.
“We are delighted to award Stockton village with £1,000 to help fund its new bus shelters.
“This year’s scheme was so successful we plan to relaunch it again in 2019, so keep an eye out on our website and social media channels for updates as we hope to be funding more fantastic projects near you.”
