Full list of 148 priority cycle schemes unveiled for Suffolk

Conservative cabinet member for highways at Suffolk County Council, Andrew Reid, said the Covid-19 situation had seen more people take to their bicycles. Picture: SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL (Image: Archant)

Suffolk County Council unveiled 20 temporary schemes on Monday which were the first it was seeking feedback on for measures to help people travel by bicycle, which included some road closures to motor vehicles entirely.

It came from work undertaken by a cross-party task force (policy development panel or PDP) at the authority on improving cycling routes, with a full list of 148 priority routes for the next five years having been published ahead of the council’s cabinet next week.

MORE: County unveils 20 schemes to help cyclists in SuffolkOf those, 80 have estimated costs attached to them which totals just over £82m.

The council report said that different funding streams such as housing developer contributions and Department for Transport grants would be assessed in helping fund the projects.

Suffolk County Council is attempting to encourage more people to cycle post lockdown, and is planning measures on the county's roads to help that happen. Picture: SUFFOLK COUNTY COUNCIL (Image: Suffolk County Council)

Councillor Andrew Reid, Conservative cabinet member for highways, said: “The work of the PDP has highlighted those schemes that have the potential for getting the greatest number of people out of their cars and onto bikes.

“This includes those strategic routes to key services and places of work and education.

“Our aim is to embed cycling as part of a long-term habit and reap the associated health, air quality and congestion benefits by making permanent changes to the county’s cycling infrastructure.”

The report stressed that the 148 schemes had not yet been confirmed and “should be viewed as an overall plan of how cycling schemes can be implemented, as funding becomes available, not a programme of works to be delivered on an annual basis.”

Robert Lindsay from Suffolk County Council's Liberal Democrat, Green and Independent group, said some of the council's highways budget should be ringfenced for cycling networks, Picture: ARCHANT (Image: Archant)

The cabinet is next week asked to approve measures to begin discussions with district and borough councils on developing the five-year-plan, and pursue detailed feasibility studies of the first 20 schemes announced on Monday including costs, funding sources and estimated timeline for delivery.

The Liberal Democrat, Green and Independent group transport spokesman Robert Lindsay said: “Up to now Suffolk had no proper prioritised plan for cycle routes in the county, just a piecemeal approach which depended on individual communities lobbying for them.

“We really needed to identify what routes had most potential for encouraging people to switch from driving to cycling.

“Once we as a county have a published plan for desired cycle routes, then it is easier to obtain funding for them, either from Government, public bodies, or from developers who want approval for planning applications.

Better signs or new cycle lanes could be among the measures in Suffolk. Picture: ARCHANT

“But the county council should also put its own money where its mouth is and dedicate a proportion of the annual transport budget to cycling infrastructure. We are more likely to attract funding as a county if we can show we are ourselves willing to put some money in to these schemes.”

The Labour group’s Helen Armitage added: “A lack of safe routes is putting off potential cyclists when we should be encouraging people to leave their cars at home and travel in more sustainable ways.

“Little has been done to reduce the traffic on our roads and congestion is only getting worse. With the funding pots available there is no excuse for failing to deliver these improvements for Suffolk. We must now make sure that detailed proposals are produced, and that they encapsulate all the suggested schemes in one coherent plan, giving us the best chance of successfully bidding for the money needed.

Email the county council here to share your feedback.

Suffolk County Council Labour councillor Helen Armitage said congestion problems in Ipswich had not been addressed. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Sarah Lucy Brown)

The 148 schemes

Listed below are the 148 priority routes outlined in the five year plan, with brief details. Currently there are no details on what the projects may entail, such as cycle lanes, road or junction redesigns, signs or additional lines. Some projects may be upgrades or improvements while others may be entirely new cycle links:

Beccles

• Lowestoft Road/Hillside Avenue/Ellough Road (Beccles to Worlingham cycle route improvements)

• Lowestoft Road (A146 roundabout)

• Tesco to Ingate (Grove Road)

• Lowestoft Road to Bluebell Way (Ellough Road)

• Rigbourne Hill Lane/Oak Lane

• Ellough Road to Ringsfield

• Ingate to Bluebell Way (Castle Hill, Queen Elizabeth Drive)

• Benacre Road/Copland Way (Church Road to Anson Way)

• London Road

• Ingate/Fredericks Road/Ashmans Road

• North Cove to Carlton Colville cycle track

Bungay

• Hillside Road East

• Castle Lane to Library (signing)

Bury St Edmunds

• Cotton Lane (Northgate Street to Mustow Street)

• Mount Road (Orttewell Road, Eastgate Street, Angel Hill)

• Barton Road (Ortwell Road to Eastgate Street)

• Cullum Road (A1302 Nowton Road to Westgate Street/Guildhall to Cornhill

• Thetford Road (Lark Valley Drive, Culford Road and The Street to Tollgate on B1106)

• Westgate Street/Abbeygate Street (Westbury Avenue, Queens Road, Kings Road, Cornhill)

• Hardwick Lane/Vinery Road (Nowton Road to Horringer Road)

• Westgate Street to Hospital Road (West Road, Hospital Road, Westgate Street)

• Bedingfield Road/Rougham Road (Skyliner Way to Southgate Green)

• Beetons Way (Newmarket Road to Fornham Road)

• Southgate Street/Angel Hill (Southgate Green, Crown Street and Angel Hill)

• Newmarket Road/Risbygate Street

• Kings Road/Parkway

• FP1 upgrade

• River Linnet

• Horringer-Bury cycle link

• Fornham St Martin cycle track

Chillesford

• B1084

Clare

• Clare to Cavendish

• Clare to Essex

Coddenham

• Coddenham to Needham Market cycle route

Elmswell

• Elmswell to Bury St Edmunds (to Mount Road)

Eye

• Yaxley Road B1117

Felixstowe

• Grange Road (Grange Road/ Maidstone Road to Ferry Lane and High Street)

• Princes Road (Sea Road, Mill Lane)

• Beach Station Road (Dock Road roundabout, Sea Road, Sea Front to Undercliff Road)

• Garrison Lane (Undercliff Road to Grove Road)

• High Road (Faulkeners Way to Western Avenue)

• Mill Lane (Mill Lane and Crescent Road to High Road)

• Walton Avenue

• Trimley St Mary to Trimley St Martin

Halesworth

• Chediston Street

Haverhill

• Manor Road (Ruffles Road, Millfields Way, Eringhausen Way)

• Mill Hill/Crowland Road (Duddery Hill, Recreation Road, Camps Road, Castle Road)

• Withersfield Road (Howe Road to Cangle junction)

• Chivers Road (Park Road to Burton End)

• Burton End (Mill Road to Chivers Road)

• Duddery Hill (Duddery Hill, Greenfields Way)

• Sturmer Road to Hamlet Road (Sturmer Road/Chalkstone Road, Hamlet Road, High Street)

• Park Road A1037 to Castle Manor Academy

• Eastern Avenue

• Chimswell Estate (Bergamot Road, Chimswell Way, Chivers Road)

• Burton End, School Lane to North Avenue

• Burton End/Camps Road (North Avenue to Mill Road)

Hollesley

• Duck Corner to Stores Corner path

Homersfield

• A143

Ipswich

• Waterfront (University of Suffolk to Stoke Bridge)

• Portman Road (Barrack Corner to Princes Street)

• Yarmouth Road (London Road to Bramford Road)

• Princes Street (Link to rail station)

• Belstead Road (Luther Road to Stoke Bridge)

• Grove Lane/Civic Drive (Rope Walk, Tackett Street, Dogs Head Street)

• Maryon Road/Waterfront (Nacton Road, Bishops Hill)

• Bramford Lane/Bramford Road (Ulster Avenue to Bramford Road)

• Ranelagh Road/Burrell Road (Ancaster Road to Stoke Bridge)

• Oyster Reach to Stoke Bridge (Wherstead Road, St Peters/Falcon Street)

• Hospital to university (Freehold Road, Foxhall Road)

• Bury Road to Northgate Street (Norwich Road/ST Matthews Street)

• Valley Road (Henley Road to Norwich Road)

• Henley Road to town centre

• Tuddenham Road (Colchester Road to St Margarets)

• Westerfield Road to St Margarets Street (Valley Road to St Margarets Street)

• Heath Road to Valley Road (Bixley Road, Heath Road, Colchester Road)

• Old London Road Copdock/Washbrook

• Ipswich town centre

• Hadleigh Road/Sproughtn Road cycle bridge

• River Gipping cycle track

• Kesgrave to Ipswich Hospital link

• Bramford to Sproughton

Leiston

• B1122

Long Melford

• Long Melford to Cavendish (A1092 and B1064)

• A134

Lowestoft

• Gorleston Road

• Oulton Road (Peto Way/Oulton Road to Church Road/Crown Street West)

• Yarmouth Road/Bentley Drive (A47 Sussex Road to Bentley Drive)

• Tom Crisp Way (Blackheath Road to Waveney Drive)

• Victoria Avenue/Waveney Drive

• Kessingland to London Road (Field Lane/A12 to Bloodmoor roundabout)

• Normanston Drive/Fir Lane (Fir Lane/Oulton Road to Bridge Road/Commodore Road)

• London Road (Bloodmoor roundabout to Belvedere Road)

• Bascule Bridge to Yarmouth Road

• Castleton Avenue/Stradbroke Road

• A12 Battery Green Road cycle track

• Higher Drive to Normanston Park

• Gorleston Road/Sands Lane/Gresham Avenue

• Castleton Avenue/Hollow Lane

• Rushton Drive

• Long Road

• Bludeston Church Road to Hall Road

• Somerleyton and Oulton B1074

• Pakefield coast path (Arbon Lane to All Saints & St Mary’s Church)

• Kessingland to Pakefield cycle track

• Woods Meadow cycle track

• Harbour Road to Normanston Park

• Gisleham to Carlton Colville Primary School

Mildenhall

• Field Road A1101 (College Heath Road, Folly Road to Queensway)

• Kingsway A1101 (Kingsway from North Terrace to Brandon Road)

• Worlington Road to Mildenhall Road (NewmarketRoad, Station Road, Aldrich Place, Market Place to Queensway)

• A11 Fiveways

Needham Market

• Great Blakenham to Needham Market

Newmarket

• Park Lane/Sun Lane (Granby Road to High Street)

• Studland Park Avenue (Brickfields Avenue, Exning Road to Fordham Road)

• Fordham Road corridor (Noel Murless Drive to Clocktower roundabout)

• Yellow Brick Road

• Exning Road corridor (Exning Road, St Phillips Road to Wellington Street)

• Burwell to Exning cyclelink

• A142 cycle path to Turners

Saxmundham

• Three communities link B1121 (Kelsale, Saxmundham, Benhall)

Shotley

• Shotley Cycle Link to Ipswich (new cycle link)

Snape

• A1094 Farnham Road

Stowmarket

• Finborough Road (B1115 Thirlmere Drive/Onehouse Road to Church Walk/Tavern Street)

• Gipping Way (Needham Road roundabout to Station Road)

• Ipswich Road (The Crescent/Poplar Hill to Tavern Street)

• Navigation Approach (Thorney Green in Stowupland, Mortimer Road to Gipping Way/Navigation Approach)

• Chilton Way to Bury Road

• Stowmarket to Ipswich cycle link

• Chilton Way to St Edmunds Road

• Constable Way to St Marys

• Bury Road/Stowmarket South

• St Edmunds Road

Stowupland

• Thorney Green to school

Stratford St Andrew

• A12 Inker Brook

Sudbury

• East Street B1115 (A134 to King Street)

• Cornard Road (Head Lane to Great Eastern Road)

• Melford Road/Girling Street A131 (A134 to Newton Road)

• A134 Northern Road (A134 Richard Burns Way to Nowton Road)

• Valley Walk to Railway Station

• Waldingfield Road to Acton Lane

• Velle Vue Road/Constitution Hill

• Sudbury Common

• Talbot Road

• B1508 Kings Hill, Stannard Way to Belle Vue

• Long Melford to Lavenham

Woodbridge

• River Deben Path (Melton Station to Kyson point)

Woolpit

• Woolpit to Elmswell