Active Travel Fund - Tranche 2
The Department for Transport (DfT) has allocated £2.18m towards the County Council’s Active Travel Fund (ATF) Tranche 2 proposals. The County Council’s ambitious Tranche 2 bid proposals, however, totalled over £3m, exceeding the Council’s funding allocation.
As the costs of the proposals exceed the funding available, it was not possible to deliver all the schemes included within the original bid (or currently to replace any of the bid proposals with alternative schemes).
The first round of consultation on potential infrastructure schemes was undertaken during February/March 2021. Following consideration of the outcome of the first round of consultation, at its 15 June 2021 meeting, the Transport and Environment Committee determined the next steps for each of the schemes still under consideration in order to inform which of them should progress to construction.
Further details on each of the proposed schemes is outlined below.
Beeston cycling improvements
The proposed scheme included a point closure to through traffic on Dovecote Lane to provide a quiet route for cyclists.
Following consultation it was decided that the project did not have sufficient levels of local support and, as a result, the closure is not being introduced.
High Pavement - Sutton in Ashfield
The cycle scheme in Sutton in Ashfield was completed and open to the public in May 2022. The new cycle facility comprises of a two-way cycle route on the south side of High Pavement, between Station Road and Silk Street, for an approximate length of 390m. The facility on the south side has a dedicated on-road cycle track for a length of approximately 125m, cyclists are protected from the carriageway by a 0.5m wide buffer zone. At either end of the on-road cycle track the facility has sections of shared use footway/cycleway to link the cycle track to existing pedestrian/cycle facilities. The facility includes a shared use footway/cycleway on the north side of High Pavement, between Langton Road and Mill Street, for an approximate length of 65m. An existing crossing, which links the north and south sections of the facility has been upgraded to accommodate cyclists. The signal-controlled junction of High Pavement with Station Road was upgraded to include a toucan crossing on High Pavement.
The scheme was approved for construction at the 13 October 2021 Transport and Environment Committee.
Press Release: New cycle and footpath on High Pavement in Sutton-in-Ashfield now open
Randall Way, Retford
The scheme proposal was to create a two-way cycle route on the south-eastern side of Randall Way, with the route continuing onto the north-eastern side of the A638 North Road, ending at a crossing point near Silverdale Close. The scheme was to include an upgrade to the pedestrian refuge near Silverdale Close to a toucan crossing.
Detailed design work identified issues that impacted on the proposed scheme. On 13 October 2021, the Transport and Environment Committee agreed that, if a design can be identified that is deliverable within the funding constraints, the scheme will progress to construction.
Since then, the council has been advised that a scheme cannot be delivered within the funding available and therefore unfortunately the scheme cannot progress for construction at this time. The Council is however progressing with the design of the scheme so that its construction can be reconsidered should further funding become available.
In the meantime, the section on the A638 North Road is to be constructed by developers.
Regatta Way, West Bridgford
The upgrade of the existing cycle route along Regatta Way in West Bridgford was completed and opened to members of the public in August 2022. The scheme saw the upgrade of the existing shared use footway/cycleway facility, between A6011 Radcliffe Road and Adbolton Lane, to a high quality, fully segregated two-way cycleway. The facility now has a 2m wide footway, with a 2.5m (minimum) two-way cycle track, for a length of approximately 840m. The new cycle facility continues 50m north of the junction of Adbolton Lane with Regatta Way to connect with the National Cycle Network route 15. In addition to the cycle scheme, new street lighting was installed along the route and the road was resurfaced.
The scheme was approved for construction at the 13 October 2021 Transport and Environment Committee.
Press release: Excellent news for cycling in West Bridgford as new route opens
To complement the schemes being proposed, a programme of behavioural change active travel promotional measures is also being delivered.
