Norwich council unveils push to get people out of cars and onto bikes
It will see improvements to pavements and cycling lanes across the county
A major push to get people out of their cars and onto bikes has been unveiled, with schemes planned across 20 of the county’s towns and largest villages.
Almost £1m of government funding has been allocated to Norfolk County Council (NCC) to encourage active travel.
A grant of £319,871 will be used to develop a county-wide Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP).
The plan will set out how improvements can be made to walking and cycling infrastructure in 20 places across Norfolk, as well as creating new links between rural communities.
Work has already been carried out in the county’s three largest settlements: Norwich, King’s Lynn and Great Yarmouth.
Now the council is hoping to build on that work by proposing network improvements in Acle, Attleborough, Aylsham, Cromer, Dereham, Diss, Fakenham, Harleston, Hethersett, Holt, Hunstanton and Heacham, Long Stratton, North Walsham, Reepham, Sheringham, Swaffham, Thetford, Watton, Wroxham and Hoveton, and Wymondham.
A further £657,388 of funding from Active Travel England will meanwhile pay for a raft of other schemes, such as community cycle clubs – which aim to enable and motivate people to change the way they travel – and grants for e-bikes and e-cargo bikes.
Some of the latter fund will also be put towards the LCWIP.
Lana Hempsall, NCC’s member champion for sustainable transport, said the funding was “very welcome” and will help the council achieve its net-zero targets.
The Conservative councillor added that the authority would work with communities to help develop “the right solutions in the right locations”.
Jesse Norman, the minister of state for decarbonisation and technology, said: “Norfolk will benefit from a boost to active travel which is an easy way to get fit, save money and reduce your carbon footprint.
“Skills training and local community engagement will help deliver improvements that have widespread local support and make active travel an attractive choice for getting around.”
NCC will be consulting, via an online survey, on the 20 network improvement schemes over a six-week period from March.
There will also be public engagement events held in Cromer, Dereham, Hunstanton, Long Stratton, Thetford, Wroxham and Wymondham.
What’s happening in Norwich, Lynn and Yarmouth?
Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) have been developed in the county’s three largest conurbations.
Over the last decade, Norwich has received more than £14m in government funds to improve its cycle network.
The first wave of funding saw improvements to the eight-mile pink pedalway and the connections leading to it, creating a higher quality cycle link from the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital and UEA, through the city centre, to Heartsease.
Further improvement works followed on the yellow pedalway between Norwich Airport and Lakenham, and the blue pedalway from Sprowston to Wymondham.
In King’s Lynn, ‘active travel hubs’ are proposed to be built at Baker Lane and at the Nar Ouse Enterprise Zone.
The hubs are set to include electric vehicle charging and cycling storage, electric cycle charging, lockers and other facilities
Funding has also been awarded for projects in the Great Yarmouth area, such as the creation of new cycle lanes in Jellicoe Road, costing £150,000.
In neighbouring Gorleston, a £180,000 fund was provided to create new zebra crossings and cycle lanes on Middleton Road.