The development of a new walking and cycling route in Stapleford has been given the go-ahead and residents think it’s positive for the area.
The proposed new route will see Nottinghamshire County Council upgrade Baulk Lane, in Stapleford, to provide a better link for pedestrians and cyclists to the Toton Lane tram stop.
The lane forms part of the strategic cycle network identified through the development of the D2N2 Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan. It is also a part of its 15-year programme to deliver cycle improvements across the County.
Is the government doing enough to help with the cost of living? Let us know
The new scheme will be paid for from £1,081,761 in funding allocated from the Department for Transport. Juliet Sisson was among local residents to pledge support for the project.
“It’s always going to be a good thing for walking and cycling, definitely,” said the 58-year-old. "Especially when they are pushing less car use.”
Vaughan Reed, 62, thought the improvements would be good due to the accessibility to facilities in the area. He said: “On Baulk Lane, it’s a nice crossing. It's always got this (Bardills) island or Bramcote island. There’s the main roads then the countryside. You can get from Stapleford into Bramcote, then the countryside. Lots of dog walkers use it (Baulk Lane). You can get to the garden centre as well and to the tram stop.”
Andrew Bown, a resident in Toton for nearly 20 years, said that the new scheme would be useful. Speaking about the tram stop the 60-year-old said: “It’s handy for us to get to Notts and Beeston. We have got bikes but we don’t really use them. You find that as you get older you want an electric bike.
“I think it would be good, We would use the bike tracks, I think it would be useful.”
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.”
READ NEXT:
