SCHOOLS that encourage more pupils and parents to walk or cycle rather than take the car can help bring more than £500,000 in extra Government cash to the county.

Any school which has a travel plan signed off by Easter could benefit from a cash boost of up to £12,000.

The money can then be used to back up the travel plan and reduce the number of cars jamming the roads on the twice-daily school run.

The county's executive member for environmental services John Fort said: "A travel plan sets out how the school and its partners intend to encourage pupils and parents to walk, cycle or use the bus to get to and from school."

The money would help this process by bringing back cycle parking facilities, bus shelters and footpath entrances, encouraging pupils to come to school a different way other than by car.

He said: "It's never going to be easy walking or cycling in North Yorkshire but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do it. It just means we have to try harder."

Hawes School had one of the county's first travel plans and headteacher Julie Woodyer is now planning to spend its government money on a waiting shelter for those who walk to school.

"At the end of the day if it is raining we don't want parents to be huddling in doorways resenting those in their heated cars," she said.