WILTSHIRE Council will look at introducing cycleways to link Westbury, Trowbridge and Warminster following the council being awarded a total of £375,000 from Active Travel England (ATE) to spend on walking, cycling and wheeling planning and infrastructure in the county.
Cabinet member for transport and assets at Wiltshire Council, Tamara Reay, says that a “key priority” addressed in the local cycling and walking infrastructure plan (LCWIP) was to identify safe and accessible cycling routes between the towns of Warminster, Westbury and Trowbridge.
Cllr Reay, said, “We’re committed to providing opportunities for more people to lead healthier lifestyles and walk, wheel or cycle the journey to school, local amenities and between towns and villages.
“The Wiltshire-wide LCWIP sets out the framework for the cycling and walking infrastructure that the council aims to deliver in its towns and inter-urban areas.
“A key priority that was identified in the Wiltshire-wide LCWIP was to identify safe and accessible cycling routes between the towns of Warminster, Westbury and Trowbridge.
“We are at a very early stage on this project and the current funding allocation will be used to investigate feasible route options, which may be on highway or off-road.”
Schemes will be moved forward or designed, and then the council will apply for further funding to enable them to be constructed.
Cllr Reay added, “We’re committed to enabling residents to live healthier lives and improving walking, cycling and wheeling routes in Wiltshire. This is part of our Business Plan commitment to improve the air quality and support the decarbonisation of transport in our county.
“That’s why this funding is so welcome – it will be spent on both installing new infrastructure to make it easier for people to choose to leave their cars at home, as well as planning for more new projects, which will then put us in a good position to successfully bid for more funding.
“We have pledged to make the council carbon neutral by 2030, and we’re also doing all we can to help make the whole county carbon neutral too.”
To find out more about LCWIPs in Wiltshire, people should go to: www.wiltshire.gov.uk/transport-town-cycle-networks
