The development of a new walking and cycling route in Stapleford has been given the go-ahead thanks to over £1million in funding from the Department for Transport (DfT).
Subject to a future public consultation, the proposed new route will see Nottinghamshire County Council upgrade Baulk Lane to provide a better link for pedestrians and cyclists to the Toton Lane tram stop.
Baulk Lane forms part of the strategic cycle network identified through the development of the D2N2 Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan and forms part of its 15-year programme to deliver cycle improvements across the County.
This is the second time that Baulk Lane has been included in a bid to the Active Travel Fund following tranche three deciding not to fund any off-road improvements.
The £1,081,761 of funding means that the county council can now look towards producing a detailed design and public consultation for the scheme.
Councillor Neil Clarke MBE, Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment at Nottinghamshire County Council, said: “This is great news for Nottinghamshire and for Stapleford.
“The Baulk Lane scheme has been talked about for a while, and despite not receiving funding from a previous bid, we are delighted that we can now look ahead to the future of the scheme thanks to this award for over £1million from the DfT.
“What makes this scheme so interesting is that this the first time that Active Travel England has allocated funding to a scheme in Nottinghamshire that is considered to be ‘off-road’.
“This scheme would provide a great link to the Toton Lane tram park and ride and also to the wider Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire local cycling and walking network.
“Schemes such as this are important because they encourage Nottinghamshire residents to walk or cycle more as part of a healthy and green lifestyle.
“We will now look at detailed design plans for this scheme before beginning a public consultation and I look forward to providing more updates on this in the coming weeks and months.”
More information about the Active Travel Fund in Nottinghamshire can be found at: https://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/transport/active-travel/active-travel-fund
This is a UK Government funded scheme and more information about the funding can be found on the Government website: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/millions-of-people-to-benefit-from-200-million-to-improve-walking-and-cycling-routes
Independent Councillor Richard MacRae 