Controversial Bury St Edmunds cycle and walking route plans axed after backlash from residents

Controversial plans for new cycle and walking routes in Bury St Edmunds have been dropped, it has been confirmed.

Suffolk County Council (SCC) announced today that the consultation into the proposals for the route will now not be going ahead after ‘listening to residents’.

The council had wanted to make it ‘safer and easier’ for residents to walk and cycle to town by introducing measures to make the roads ‘less busy’.

These include shared cycle lanes, zebra crossings, pedestrian and cyclist priority areas, stretching from Barton Road in the east, to Newmarket Road in the west.

But some parts of the proposal, including making a section of Barton Road one-way, to make room for a cycle path, were criticised by residents, who launched their own consultation in response.

Chris Chambers, SCC cabinet member for transport strategy, planning and waste, said: “Suffolk County Council has listened to residents and made the decision to cancel the consultation on these specific proposals for walking, wheeling and cycling schemes in Bury St Edmunds.

“We thank the number of residents who have already engaged with the consultation and provided feedback to our survey, and we’ll be using this valuable insight to inform future consultations made to improve travel infrastructure in the town, which I'm determined will be shaped hand-in-hand with local communities.”

The council had proposed schemes at five towns and villages throughout the county, using funding awarded through the Government’s Active Travel England.

Consultations are still going ahead over the plans for Woodbridge, Felixstowe and Copdock and Capel St Mary.

Moreton Hall Residents’ Association, Bury St Edmunds, launched their own consultation into the route after concerns their views would not be ‘accurately reflected’.

The association was concerned about the one-way system for Barton Road which impacted hundreds of residents around the route and on the housing estate.

More than 180 people replied.

Concerns were also raised in Risbygate Street, Bury, where there were plans for a kerbed cycle path.

Andy McGowan, of the Moreton Hall Residents’ Association, said: “The council’s own consultation made some assumptions as to what the benefits, such as reducing traffic, pollution; and we have asked if people agree with those.

“Issues coming up consistently were concerns about the M33 bus route, particularly for older residents and those with health conditions.

“Another was about what it will do to Mount Road in terms of the traffic there, particularly as there is a school on that stretch and a T-junction at the end, whereas at the end of Barton Road you have a roundabout with a more natural flow.”

The consultations at Bury St Edmunds market place tomorrow and at the library on Monday have also been cancelled.

* At SuffolkNews we are committed to delivering the very best coverage right across the county and we can only do this with your support. By becoming a subscriber you not only support us in this mission, you can also unlock a host of benefits, including unlimited access to our ad-lite SuffolkNews website and digital editions of all our weekly newspapers. You can find out more about subscriptions here.

Use the promo code ChrisMorris for a half price individual subscription offer for £27 for a year.

There are also special offers for businesses, small and large, which allow for up to 20 users

We really appreciate your support.