Council to receive more than £730,000 to boost green forms of transport

Swindon Borough Council is to receive £731,500 from the Government to improve walking and cycling provision across the borough.

Published: Thursday, 26th November 2020

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The money makes up the second lot of funding given to the Council through the Government’s Active Travel Fund (ATF), which is intended to encourage people to walk and cycle around town, and socially distance more easily.

Earlier in the year, a number of schemes were taken forward through the first batch of ATF funding. Improvements, some permanent and some temporary, were made at the following locations:

  • Commercial Road
  • Station Road
  • Old Town Railway Path
  • Kingsdown Lane
  • Crombey Street
  • Marlborough Road

A series of consultations on these measures will take place in due course and, following feedback from the public, the £731,500 will be put towards proceeding with the schemes identified.

One of these schemes – Station Road – is already out to consultation, with members of the public given until Wednesday, 9 December to provide feedback. A survey on the future of Commercial Road ended in November, and further consultations on this scheme will be taken forward in due course.

Councillor Maureen Penny, Swindon Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Highways, Maintenance and Waste Services, said: “I welcome this new batch of funding which will go towards improving Swindon’s roads for everyone in the borough.

“As well as ensuring that people are able to socially distance in a safe environment, whatever further improvements we make to the roads will also help us achieve our aim of ensuring more sustainable forms of transport can be used more widely right across the town.”

In addition to delivering infrastructure, the new batch of funding will also support the promotion of behaviour change projects which will see the Council working closely with employers and the local community over the coming year.

A School Steets trial is also being funded, the aim of which is to make the streets outside schools safer by discouraging car journeys to school and cutting down on traffic in the vicinity of schools. Steps will also be taken to improve air quality around schools.

To fill out the Station Road survey, click here: https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/StationRd/.

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