Clements Primary Academy in Haverhill gets library and road safety improvements thanks to Suffolk County Councillor Heike Sowa

Road safety, literacy and reading at a primary school have all received a boost thanks to the contributions made by a councillor.

The two-pronged improvements at Clements Primary Academy in Haverhill have come with the help of Cllr Heike Sowa, who represents Haverhill Cangle (the ward in which the school is located) on Suffolk County Council.

Cllr Sowa donated £2,000 to the Greenfields Way school from her locality fund.

The money was used to create a new library area and stock it with books.

The library’s shelves and benches had previously been in an adjacent corridor but were moved to a bigger, open space as part of a revamp, with a carpenter turning the wooden benches into extra shelving.

A quiet reading area, with beanbags, has also been created.

The school’s headteacher Vicky Hogg said: “With the money we got from Cllr Sowa we were able to redesign the library and bring it all into this space, which has just made it a better space for the children to use.

“The quality of books we have got in here is great as well.

“The library is open to parents one afternoon a week so they can come in and take books as well.

“It just means everyone who is struggling for reading materials and struggling to get down to Haverhill Library can come and get some books so it’s not another journey into Haverhill.

“This is about ensuring children get a love of reading so they are choosing to read outside of the curriculum. You’ve got these quality books and a quality space. They’ve got to really feel the value of books, haven’t they.”

An impressed Cllr Sowa said: “This is my council ward and I wanted to help. This space is really perfect. It is beautiful.”

Meanwhile, double yellow lines are also going to be painted on the road near the school entrance to improve safety for children, namely to prevent cars parking outside the school so children can cross the road more safely.

The issue of parking and traffic was raised by pupils, who wrote to Cllr Sowa, their MP and the town’s mayor to see if they could do something to help improve matters.

Cllr Sowa contacted Suffolk Highways to see what it could do to help improve road safety and it commissioned a traffic and speeding survey of Greenfields Way.

Although speeding was not found to be a problem, the county council agreed to paint the double yellow lines and the job has been added to its schedule, confirmed Cllr Sowa.