Bondicar Terrace to Plessey Road Cycle Scheme - ATF3 Public Consultation

Overview

What is the Active Travel Fund 3?

The UK government announced £200 million worth of funding to deliver new walking and cycling schemes across England as part of a £2 billion commitment to active travel. Across the UK, local authorities were invited to submit bids for the Fund, to support the delivery of schemes which aligned with LTN 1/20 and could support healthier and happier communities. Funding allocations were announced by the Department for Transport on May 14th 2022, which included several successful interventions across Northumberland. 

Our Bid

Of the nine schemes that were awarded funding across the North East, two are located in Northumberland; one in Ashington, and another in Blyth. The main objective of the scheme is to improve active travel connectivity by creating segregated walking and cycling links across the towns which facilitate safer and healthier travel.  

The scheme in Blyth forms a corridor along the A193 between Bondicar Terrace to the north and Plessey Road to the south, to provide a high-quality active travel route within the town. The scheme route extent is shown in the plan below.

It is anticipated that, by delivering improved active travel infrastructure which facilitates sustainable travel, this would:

• Support local communities by providing a direct link to Blyth town centre.
• Improve safety and health of those living and working in the area by offering better infrastructure that facilitates uptake for active travel.

Alignment with The Big Northumberland Gear Change

As well as offering a range of economic, social and environmental benefits to local residents and businesses, the proposals also align with the Big Northumberland Gear Change campaign, which is aimed at encouraging people to adopt more sustainable habits in terms of transport by walking, cycling and using public transport more often.

Currently, only 13% of all journeys in Northumberland are made on foot or by bike, and with a third of all trips in the county less than 5km, there are many opportunities to shift to more sustainable modes for these shorter trips. The proposed scheme offers a step-change in active travel infrastructure which will remove some barriers to walking and cycling, such as highway safety and poor facilities.

For more information, please visit: https://www.northumberlandgearchange.co.uk/

Why your views matter

The consultation is an opportunity for you to have your say on the scheme that is being brought forward. We’ll use the responses to shape the detailed design stage of the proposals by using the feedback received to understand how participants feel the design could be improved. Please note this consultation isn’t seeking views on the justification for the route.

We want to understand how local residents and businesses currently use the routes at present, any issues that exist, and whether or not the proposals would encourage you to walk or cycle more often. The insights provided will give us an understanding on how to shape the schemes to ensure that they cater for the needs of those living and working within the area.

If you have further queries beyond the consultation, or need to request a hard copy of the information, please contact our dedicated mailbox: highwaysprogramme@northumberland.gov.uk