Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and Woodbridge amongst towns to get active travel boost as Suffolk County Council welcomes almost £8 million in government funding
Seven cycling and walking projects in Suffolk have been given a major boost as the council has secured almost £8 million in government funding.
Suffolk County Council has welcomed the £7.9 million package from Active Travel England (ATE) which will be spent on seven projects that encourage cycling and walking measures in towns.
These will include the creation of cycle lanes, shared-use paths, and improved crossing points on roads.
The £7.9 million for Suffolk is the fifth highest amount in England and the most awarded to a county councul. It comes as part of a £200 million package for England that was announced today by ATE after it was first unveiled in March this year.
The full list of schemes that will recieve money is:
Woodbridge town centre - £4,005,000
Grange Road Felixstowe- £1,318,000
Ipswich Hospital to University of Suffolk - £ 1,227,950
Woodbridge (south) - £1,125,000
Ipswich - £105,149 to be spent on developing 12 schemes including the east-west Ipswich town centre route, Crown Street to Ipswich Waterfront and general travel to school in the borough
Developing Bury St Edmunds east/west Route - £105,149
Developing Capel St Mary to Copdock route - £46, 967
Some of the schemes, such as Ipswich Hospital to the University, have previously had improvements made under previous ATE funding rounds but this new money will link up and enhance that previous work.
Councillor Alexander Nicoll, Suffolk County Council Deputy Cabinet Member for Transport Strategy, said: “We welcome this funding as it will enable us to continue to build on the hard work that has taken place so far in developing and enhancing active travel projects.
“These schemes make a real difference because they enable people to get around without having to rely on the car.
“By doing so we reduce congestion and free up road space for the traffic that really does need to be there, while also protecting and enhancing our environment by reducing emissions.”
The council will now launch public engagement schemes throughout 2023 with a view to starting work on all schemes in 2024.
