Funding given for cycling and walking improvements in Shoreham and Findon

West Sussex County Council has secured Department for Transport funding for permanent improvements in Phase 2 of the Active Travel Fund.

Now, five projects have been identified and a Summary Consultation Plan published for taking the proposals forward.

Residents, businesses and wider stakeholders will be consulted on the council’s plans for all of these schemes, which are to be delivered in the 2021/22 financial year:

The proposals are (subject to the council’s usual call-in period):

Consultation on a permanent cycleway scheme for Shoreham, with design proposals for Upper Shoreham Road. This could enable a potential bid in future phases of the ATF. The design would be for a high-quality cycleway that meets the new national standard for cycling infrastructure, known as LTN 1/20. Estimated cost: £250,000

Subject to full consultation with all stakeholders, a new, off-carriageway, 2km-long shared cycleway/footway adjacent to the A24 between Findon Valley and Findon Village. The A24 is a high scoring priority in the West Sussex Walking and Cycling Strategy 2016-2026. A detailed design for a shared cycleway/footway adjacent to the A24 between Findon Valley and Findon Village was previously completed but was not progressed due to lack of funding. The scheme would connect the South Downs National Park gateway of Findon Village with Findon Valley, with onward connection to Worthing via the existing cycle network. Estimated cost: £1million

A programme of ‘school gate’ travel improvements aimed at promoting active travel, reducing reliance on cars and helping to protect school bus travel. Measures could include local signage/ markings/protected drop-off spaces/zones and improvements for pedestrians.

Bikeability training is also included in the proposals, such as ‘catch-up’ cycle training for pupils who missed out during the Covid-19 crisis, plus training for less experienced, adult cyclists hoping to gain confidence with 1-2-1 sessions and ‘Doctor Bike’ bicycle maintenance sessions. Estimated cost: £500,000

A programme of small-scale active travel improvements, such as footway widenings or enhanced crossing points. Estimated cost: £400,000

Promotion, monitoring and a full evaluation programme for all of the above schemes Estimated cost: £201,250

Roger Elkins, Cabinet Member for Highways and Improvements, said: “The emphasis in Phase 2 of the Active Travel Fund (ATF) is on consulting with all stakeholders with the aim of arriving at permanent improvements for people who cycle and for pedestrians – as opposed to the temporary, emergency pop-up cycleways we saw last year.”

He added: “We recognise the support shown by some people for the Shoreham temporary cycleway in Tranche One of the Active Travel Fund. We pledged to look at the idea of a permanent facility for Shoreham and we are committing £250,000 to design a scheme which would be for a high-quality cycleway that meets the new national standard for cycling infrastructure.

“Progression to build the permanent cycleway would be subject to full consultation with all stakeholders and a future, successful bid to the Active Travel Fund from the Department for Transport.”