Wichelstowe’s sustainable travel among the best in the land

The travel plan at Wichelstowe was named ‘Residential National Site of the Year’ at the Modeshift STARS National Travel Awards.

Swindon Borough Council’s sustainable travel initiative, Swindon Travel Choices, delivers the travel plan on behalf of the developers, Wichelstowe LLP (a partnership between Swindon Borough Council and Barratt Redrow). It provides travel information to residents when they first move in, has created a new Wichelstowe walking magazine and puts on a variety of events from travel roadshows, bike maintenance classes, to guided walks and rides.

As part of the Wichelstowe travel plan, residents can apply for taster tickets to try out the bus service and get voucher codes for free rail travel. There is also a resident discount at Mitchell Cycles and a ‘borrow a bike’ scheme to try a pedal or electric bike for six weeks.

During the school summer holidays, a treasure hunt app was developed to encourage families to explore the area and find various items, with small prizes being offered. The ‘hedgehog trail’ will remain in place and can be expanded as the Wichelstowe community grows.

The Modeshift STARS National Travel Awards, presented at a ceremony in London in front of over 200 delegates, honours those that have demonstrated excellence in promoting walking, wheeling, cycling and the use of public transport for everyday journeys, setting a benchmark for best practice in their sectors.

Rob Powe, Development Manager from Wichelstowe LLP said, “It’s been a pleasure to be involved in this year’s sustainable transport initiatives, especially welcoming families to the hedgehog trail and seeing them enjoy the new boardwalk at Wichelstowe.

“This award highlights the progress we’ve made so far, but we’re excited about upcoming projects like extending the canal towpath and path network.

“We hope residents and visitors continue to embrace the active lifestyle being shaped here, choosing walking and cycling as their preferred way to travel through the site.”

Claire Fleming, Travel Plan Officer at Swindon Borough Council, said: “We’ve done so much work in Wichelstowe to make sure residents have the best access to sustainable travel.

“Our walking trails have been a huge success and it’s great to see our hard work be rewarded in this way.

“But we still want to do more and we’re hopeful we can build on this positive momentum and help make sustainable travel more accessible across the Borough.”