Residents support five out of the eight schemes to make walking and cycling easier in Lincolnshire.
Lincolnshire County Council launched a consultation in March to ask residents' views on eight schemes to make walking and cycling easier in the county, using £799,900 funding from the Department for Transport's Active Travel Fund.
Over 2,750 residents, businesses and organisations completed the consultation which ended on Sunday 16 May. The following schemes will now go ahead, after receiving broad public support:
- Grantham active travel zone
- Lincoln Newark Road cycle lane protection
- Louth active town centre
- Skegness Lumley Road sustainable travel corridor
- Sturton by Stow low traffic neighbourhood
Each scheme will be implemented for a period of up to 18 months. After that time a decision will be made whether or not to keep the changes, after further engagement with locals.
There have been some changes to the proposals, based on feedback, such as the removal of some street closures in the Louth project, and allowing buses to access still Lumley Road in the Skegness scheme.
Other prospective schemes in Boston, Mablethorpe and Spalding were not supported by the public, and will not be going ahead.
Cllr Richard Davies, executive member for highways and transport at Lincolnshire County Council, said:
"We were clear when we launched this consultation that only those schemes with public support would get the go ahead. We've listened to what residents have told us and made amendments to schemes based on your feedback. We'll start work as soon as we can to put in the changes that residents have told us they want to see.
"Where these schemes are being implemented, they will be temporary for up to 18 months. If they work for the community, we can make them permanent. And if they don't, we can take them out again easily.
"Although they are temporary, we're keen for no community to feel like they've just got roadworks happening for 18 months so we will use high quality infrastructure to implement these changes, such as traffic planters.
"With some of the schemes not supported and so not going ahead, we've got some funding left it the pot. As such we're looking to consult on more prospective schemes very shortly for Stamford, Sutton-on-Sea and Lincoln.
"Once again, these ideas have come from the public, and will only get the go ahead if they're supported by other local residents."
Full results and amendments
Grantham
Supportive: 48%
Unsupportive: 44%
There is a solid basis of support for taking elements of the project forward in Grantham. Following consultation feedback this project will be taken forward with the following recommendations:
- The creation of a 'Sustainable Travel Corridor' allowing buses and cycles to progress southbound on High Street. Northbound traffic would continue as is currently the case
- At St Peter's Hill the straight ahead lane to be removed from the west side and turned into a wider footway and area for outdoor retail/hospitality
- St Peter's Hill eastbound lane to be removed to continue sustainable travel corridor - breaking into filter lanes opposite Belvoir estate agents
- The closure of Guildhall Street at the junction of High Street allowing access for deliveries but on Guildhall Street but no access to/from High Street
- Westgate area proposals to be dropped with monitoring during first 6 months of ETO to consider installation of temporary give way islands if traffic needed to be slowed further.
Lincoln Newark Road Cycle Lane Protection
Supportive: 82%
Unsupportive: 13%
This has been the most supported proposal put forward for consultation. This project will go ahead with no changes. Consideration has already been given to ensuring the cycle protection does not obstruct private driveways, side roads, and bus stops.
Louth
Supportive: 64%
Unsupportive: 27%
Following consultation there has been largely very constructive feedback. Following site visits and individual representations to the Active Travel Team, this scheme will be taken forward with the following changes:.
- Remove the proposed closures to Aswell Street and Burnt Hill Lane
- Convert Market Place parking to blue badge only when market in not operational to increase disabled parking
- Protect the existing cycle lane on Eastgate with small planters
- Advisory 20mph Signage at entrance to Mercer Row
Skegness
Supportive: 57%
Unsupportive: 30%
There is support for the changes made but an issue has been raised regarding the bus service. We would recommend proceeding with this project with close monitoring with the following changes:
- Turning the Lumley Road 'Active Travel Corridor' into a 'Sustainable Travel Corridor' by allowing buses to access the road.
- 20mph advisory signage on Lumley Road and working with bus companies to adhere to this.
Sturton By Stow
Supportive: 60%
Unsupportive: 26%
We recommend this project should proceed in totality with the Low Traffic Neighbourhood closure to take place at the northern end of the village. We should continue to monitor this and consider moving the closure to the southern edge based on ongoing residents' feedback.
Boston
Supportive: 29%
Unsupportive: 65%
This scheme will not go ahead.
Mablethorpe
Supportive: 22%
Unsupportive: 70%
This scheme will not go ahead.
Spalding
Supportive: 15%
Unsupportive: 79%
This scheme will not go ahead.