Warwickshire cyclists are being encouraged to have their say on plans for cycling infrastructure across the county as time runs out on the consultation survey.
The Commonwealth Games Road Races in Warwick on Sunday 7 August saw unprecedented levels of footfall in the town with an estimated 40, 000 visitors turning out to watch both the men’s and women’s races.
In keeping with the ethos of the Games being Active Travel and public transport focussed, a huge number of visitors came on bikes with dedicated secure cycle parking across the town being very well used throughout the day.
Warwickshire is gaining a growing reputation as a centre for cycling having hosted stages of the Women’s Tour since 2016 and the Tour of Britain in 2019. Cycling clubs have grown in number and membership in recent years and the county’s roads are regularly seeing groups take to the roads.
The county council is now looking to see an increase in cyclists going about daily activities such as commuting and is looking for residents’ views on what would help this to happen.
So, on the back of the consistently increasing interest in all things cycling, Warwickshire County Council is reminding residents that there is only a short amount of time left for them to have their say on cycling infrastructure across the county.
Residents’ views are being sought on the draft version of the Warwickshire Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), a consultation which closes on Sunday 14 August.
This plan will be used to develop Warwickshire’s walking and cycling programme over the next ten years. Warwickshire County Council needs to find out now what infrastructure schemes should be included and prioritised.
The draft LCWIP has been developed following public engagement in 2021, which asked people to identify what types of walking and cycling improvements they would like to see in their local area.
Public events about this consultation have also taken place around the county this summer, and an information webinar was held on Thursday 21 July 2022. You can watch the question-and-answer session from this event below::
With concerns about the rising fuel prices, climate change and personal health, local people are frequently telling the Council that they would like to walk and cycle more but would like better facilities to support this.
The LCWIP consultation is the perfect opportunity for all Warwickshire residents to tell the Council exactly what they think of the plans to improve walking and cycling provision.
Cllr Wallace Redford, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning said: “We sincerely hope that this weekend’s Cycling Road Races in Warwick will serve is an impetus for our residents to get involved in giving their views on our plans for walking and cycling infrastructure across the county.
“Active travel and encouraging our residents to ditch their cars for shorter journeys is a key priority for this Council. The benefits of this travel shift are huge for both individual health outcomes and for the wider environment.
“We recognise that it is not enough just to ask residents to make this large modal shift without providing the necessary walking and cycling infrastructure that make it both possible and desirable, which is why this consultation is so important. With just over a week to go, I hope that as many of our residents as possible take part in this consultation as we work together for a Warwickshire that is sustainable now and for future generations.”
To complete the survey visit: https://ask.warwickshire.gov.uk/ before Sunday14 August 2022.
Feedback from the consultation will be used to produce an amended LCWIP. It is intended to progress this to formal adoption later in 2022. The final LCWIP will be closely integrated with the Active Travel Strategy in Warwickshire’s emerging Local Transport Plan.
Warwickshire County Council would welcome responses from all residents and any interested individuals, groups or organisations to help to shape these proposals.
To complete the survey visit https://ask.warwickshire.gov.uk/insights-service/lcwip/
Detailed responses can be sent by email to tpu@warwickshire.gov.uk
To find out more about the plans, visit: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/cycling/developing-warwickshires-cycle-network/3
Find out more about some of the existing cycle routes across Warwickshire, here: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/cycleroutes