THEY are doing away with the old cycle sheds at Eastleigh's Alderman Quilley School.

But the move to encourage pupils to cycle to the town centre campus will still be going at full spin.

Described as "tatty" by one pupil, the sheds at the Cherbourg Road school have been the target for vandals.

But they are to be swept away and replaced by cycle loops dotted around the school, which will be covered by closed-circuit TV cameras, and where bikes can be secured.

The proposed new facilitiues are part of the Alderman Quilley School Travel Plan, which was unveiled in front of Eastleigh mayor Councillor Glynn Davies-Dear.

In spectacular town crier style, 15-year-old Jack Cousens, a Year 11 pupil, cycled into the secondary school's main hall and delivered the 11-page document which will be a vital transport blueprint for getting to and from school.

It is expected that the new cycle facilities will be on track by the summer of 2004 and travel plan co-ordinator and assistant head Jon Berry hopes that it will encourage more pupils to take the two-wheeled route.

The travel plan aim is for pupils cycling to school on a regular basis to rise from four per cent to eight per cent by 2005.

Alderman Quilley is already setting a shining example by meeting Whitehall targets for pupils walking and cycling to school.

This is at a time when nationally there is growing concern that the school run is swamping our roads.

More than 80 per cent of Alderman Quilley pupils regularly walk to school and Mr Berry says: "We want to make sure that we stay above that figure."

The majority of the 670 pupils live quite close to the school but increasing numbers are attending from areas such as West End, Chandler's Ford and Bishopstoke.

The school is expecting a big influx of visitors when a new sports hall is built.

By then they hope the travel plan will be in top gear to avoid surrounding roads being clogged with traffic.

Head teacher Sue Ryder-Morgan said: "The aim of the travel plan is to provide safe facilities both in school and on the way to school and to encourage our pupils and other visitors to adopt healthy methods of transport and consequently reduce car traffic in and around the school."

The Alderman Quilley Travel Plan was put together largely by the efforts of the School Council.

They devised a series of questionnaires and used computers at the Eastleigh Council offices to map out their results.

Copies of the plan have been distributed in the local community. Pupils and staff will present a report, based on the plan, to Eastleigh Council.

It is one of about a dozen travel documents that have been produced by schools in the borough and is making big inroads in ensuring that Eastleigh is not smothered in traffic fumes.