SCHOOLchildren in Kington Langley will be able to use a new path to take them safely to school thanks to a campaign by the parish council.

Today, villagers will celebrate the official opening of the long-awaited footpath.

Formerly there was no safe pedestrian route along the busy main road, so the parish council joined forces with Langley Fitzurse Primary School, to put together a plan for the path from the Plough crossroads on the A429 to the school.

The project has taken five years to come to fruition. Co-ordinator Sarah Foster said: "It has been a shining example of how local government and the community can work together to achieve a major community benefit."

A planning application was first submitted in November 2001 and permission was granted in July 2003.

The 1.1km path has cost £60,000, and a further £15,000 is needed to provide a a resin-bonded surface. The money has come from grants and a loan.

The aim of the path is to provide a safe route for children and to encourage them to walk to school.

"The path also provides a safe route for villagers to walk through the village and already there has been a noticeable significant increase in the number of people walking the route," said Ms Foster

The official opening will take place today at 10.30am outside Langley Fitzurse School.