NEW bikes and improved cycle storage are on their way to two Poole schools thanks to a successful bid for a £33,000 grant.

Sylvan Infant and Branksome Heath Junior won funding from the Community Infrastructure Levy(CIL) to improve "bikeability."

The CIL is a planning charge for new building developments to help deliver infrastructure to support the development of their local area.

The schools already provide 'balanceability' and 'bikeability' sessions for early years and Year 5 and 6 pupils but the funding will allow them to provide more sessions for other year groups alongside sessions for parents and children to learn together.

It will also allow them to buy some bikes for the pupils and parents to use to practice, along with improvements being made to bike storage at both schools.

Darryl Walsh, Head of School at Sylvan said: "We are delighted with the injection of money into our schools and community, and are excited to get more children and adults riding their bikes and feeling safe doing so.

"Many of our parents suggested that they did not feel safe on the roads in our locality, so we would eventually love to see more cycle paths added to the Newtown/Parkstone area to help with this issue."