Two areas of Gloucestershire set to benefit from new walking and cycling facilities

New walking and cycling facilities are set to be built in two areas of Gloucestershire as part of the 26-mile cycle spine.

At a meeting on Wednesday 29 March, Gloucestershire County Council’s Cabinet will be asked to approve a procurement exercise for the construction of two new routes in the county.

The aim of the procurement exercise is to find contractors for the following two routes:

• Cheltenham to Bishop’s Cleeve along the A435 via Pittville and Prestbury
• Gloucester City Centre

The new routes will form part of the 26-mile cycle spine linking Stroud to Bishop’s Cleeve, via Gloucester and Cheltenham. This has already seen some good progress, with over £2 million invested in the completed first phases of the work between Arle Court roundabout and M5 Overbridge, Staverton. Work is due to be completed by spring 2024 on the section through Staverton, Churchdown and Innsworth to Elmbridge Court amounting to over £8 million of investment.

Funding for the route from Cheltenham to Bishop’s Cleeve would total over £12 million and comes from Department for Transport Active Travel Funding, Section 106 contributions, and the council’s capital programme.

The cycleway will connect to the Honeybourne Line and link Bishop’s Cleeve directly to Cheltenham Railway Station.

The Gloucester City Centre Cycleway funding totals almost £8 million and comes from the Department of Transport’s Active Travel and Levelling Up funds.

This would create cycleway network along Northgate Street, Southgate Street, Great Western Road, and Llanthony Road over the Llanthony Lift Bridge. This network would link Gloucester Docks to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital and create active travel links to Gloucester’s Transport Hub and Railway Station. It will also connect to the B4063 cycleway currently under construction between Gloucester and Cheltenham.

The new routes will make it easier to use more sustainable modes of transport, such as walking and cycling, and help to create a Greener Gloucestershire with less reliance on vehicles, reducing carbon emissions.

Construction of both routes is expected to start in spring 2024 following a public consultation.

Cllr David Gray, cabinet member responsible for environment at Gloucestershire County Council, said: “These new routes are important parts of the wider 26-mile cycle spine we’re building to link Stroud to Bishop’s Cleeve.

“This is part of our plan to create a Greener Gloucestershire by encouraging more sustainable methods of transport, and reducing carbon emissions from vehicles.”

Read the full Cabinet report for the Cheltenham to Bishop’s Cleeve route.

Read the full Cabinet report for the Gloucester City Centre route.

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