Wiltshire Council has been awarded a total of £375,000 from Active Travel England (ATE) to spend on walking, cycling and wheeling planning and infrastructure in the county.
The funding comprises £275,000 from ATE’s Capability Fund and £100,000 from the Active Travel Fund 4 extension, which is on top of the £978,000 the council has already received as part of Active Travel Fund 4 awarded in the financial year 2022/23.
The Capability Fund will be spent on the development of Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) in Melksham, Calne and Royal Wootton Bassett, along with feasibility studies, development, designs of the following routes:
- A3094 Netherhampton to Hospital cycleway in Salisbury
- Cycleways linking Trowbridge, Westbury and Warminster
- The Town Path walking and cycling link in Salisbury
- A338 City Centre to Hospital cycleway (via New Bridge Road and Downton Road) in Salisbury
- Development for priority schemes in Chippenham, Trowbridge and Devizes, as identified in the towns’ LCWIPs
All of these schemes will be moved forward or designed, and then the council will apply for further funding to enable them to be constructed.
The additional £100,000 from Active Travel Fund 4 will enable the delivery of accessibility improvements at Roundstone Street and The Halve in Trowbridge as an extension of the Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) project.
This will join up existing cycling and walking infrastructure, and will see three pedestrian crossings installed, along with segregated shared-use paths, and improved signing and wayfinding.
Cllr Tamara Reay, Cabinet Member for Transport and Assets, said: “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.”
