Latest news with #Sustrans
BBC News
23-05-2025
- BBC News
Walking routes to Thirsk railway station set to be improved
Plans to improve walking and cycling routes around Thirsk railway station are being developed by North Yorkshire being just under a mile (1.5km) apart there is no continuous safe walking and cycling route between the station and the town centre, according to cycling charity organisation said it was working with the council on proposals to upgrade the route on Green Lane and the A61.A report for the authority said: "Low levels of train commuting and high car use from this area underline the need to improve sustainable transport options, particularly for residents with limited mobility." The council said it wants to build better walking and cycling connections between the station and new homes in the Sowerby Gateway the plans the crossing over the A61 would be improved and better access routes for wheelchairs, mobility aids and pushchairs would be created.A proposed new footpath on Green Lane would also be extended to link up with a new route at Olivette Crescent, before crossing Station Road to the station, according to the Local Democracy Reporting from Sustrans found that 60% of people from the town commuted to work by car or van and that 19.5% of residents were registered as disabled, highlighting the need for more accessible scheme is currently at the design stage and will be discussed at a council meeting on Wednesday. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
18-05-2025
- BBC News
Millions using Bay Cycle Way 10 years after launch
A cycle route that was launched ten years ago is now attracting more than three million people annually, the charity that created it has said. Bay Cycle Way connects Walney Island in Barrow-in-Furness with Glasson Dock, Lancaster, offering coastal views along its stretch. Morecambe Bay Partnership, which created the route with National Cycle Network custodian Sustrans in 2015, said the path had become very popular over the past decade thanks to its variety. Its 10th birthday will be marked with four fundraising challenges encouraging people to explore the route. The 81-mile (130km) path was created to help people take in the coastal views and bring tourism to the Cooper, from Morecambe Bay Partnership, said the route had been "a great success". More than one million cyclists are believed to have used Bay Cycle Way last year - up form about 67,000 when it launched. More than three million people in total used parts of the path over 2024, including walkers and cyclists. Alex Miller, Network Development Manager at Sustrans, said: "It's no surprise that the Bay Cycle Way has been such a success, and we're thrilled it continues to be so popular after ten years."He said a recent survey had shown more than 90% of people using the path had said it had improved their levels of physical activity and wellbeing. Ms Cooper said the beauty of the route and the fact it was not to strenuous contributed to its success."I think the landscape speaks for itself," she said. "You can hear the waves, you can see the sea birds but then it also takes you on quiet country lanes up to headlands and viewpoints and from there you get these amazing panoramas, enormous skies over the bay and shining sands."Morecambe Bay Partnership is celebrating the 10th birthday of the cycle way with a series of challenges. It is hoped the initiative will help raise more than £5,000 and establish the path as a potential location for fundraising events."We want people to take their time to explore this place and all the amazing scenery," Ms Cooper added. Follow BBC Cumbria on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
The Courier
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Courier
Arbroath Place for Everyone landscaping spend to be decided in secret
Spending plans for landscaping along Arbroath's new £14 million active travel route will be decided in secret this week. The mile-long accessible Place For Everyone town centre scheme is approaching the final stages of construction. Sustrans and Angus Council are due to complete the 77-week project this September. On Thursday, Angus Council policy and resources committee will consider a shopping list for shrubs and trees. But the committee will hear the item in private. The authority confirmed all costs for the Arbroath planting scheme are contained within the project's overall budget. A Place for Everyone will change the face of Burnside Drive by reducing the dual carriageway to a single lane in each direction. New cycle paths are already complete on sections of the scheme. Designs for the scheme show trees along its length and attractive planted areas at pedestrian spaces such as Brothock Bridge and Guthrie Port. A Place for Everyone is among nine committee reports councillors will consider in private. Only one matter – UK Shared Prosperity Fund spending proposals – will be heard in public. The other 'green paper' reports include possible changes to the running of Montrose and Arbroath golf courses. Local bus service contract extensions are also on the agenda. A council spokesperson said: 'Reports seeking approval of a procurement route and going to tender are usually exempt as they will contain commercially sensitive information. 'Such information is usually exempt as it may be liable to give a commercial advantage…in respect of property, goods or services – whether that advantage is against the authority or other persons.' The decision over whether an item should be heard in private rests with the relevant council committee. The authority recently reversed plans to consider a report into Raac in Monifieth houses in private. It released options to deal with 25 affected council houses in Milton Street after a backlash from people living there. Consultation will begin this week over the plan to fit replacement timber flat roofs on the affected council homes. Meanwhile, a £500,000 Raac remedial pilot programme involving five empty Dundee council houses was approved in public by city councillors this week. The Courier's Trapped by Raac campaign aims to help those affected by the crisis and have the issue debated by government.
Rhyl Journal
09-05-2025
- General
- Rhyl Journal
Streets by school in Rhuddlan could become one-way roads
Denbighshire County Council and walking, wheeling and cycling charity Sustrans are looking at making roads near Ysgol y Castell easier and safer to exercise on. The roads concerned are Castle Street, Hylas Lane and Abbey Road, along with their surrounding areas. Sustrans said: 'We're looking at these streets because it is part of a route that connects residents of Rhuddlan and pupils of Ysgol y Castell with shops and services in Rhuddlan town centre.' The project is being made possible by Welsh Government's Active Travel Fund, which supports councils in Wales to develop, promote, and support walking, wheeling, and cycling schemes. In October 2023, six possible designs to improve active travel near Ysgol y Castell were shared, each offering different changes that could make walking, cycling, and using a wheelchair easier and safer. Feedback involved comments about pavements being too narrow, difficulty in crossing roads safely, worries about cars driving too fast, too many cars during school drop-off and pick-up times. Sustrans has now created a new design that shows possible changes to the streets by Ysgol y Castell, based on this feedback. Residents can share their thoughts on the new design via an online survey: One-way streets are being proposed because, Sustrans said, 'when cars only travel one way, the actual road width can be much narrower, making room for wider pavements without the need to remove car parking spaces'. Sustrans added: 'It was made clear from engagement that maintaining car parking was a priority as improving the pavements, and this is one way of achieving this whilst keeping parking spaces. 'People were mostly in favour of the one-way system.' The proposal also involves widening pavements, making changes to junctions, adding informal/simple pedestrian crossings, creating a 'shared surface' on Castle Street between Cross Street and Hylas Lane, adding green spaces. As well as completing the online survey, people can also come to in-person workshops on Tuesday (May 13). These will be held at Ysgol y Castell's school gates from 3-4pm, and at Ebeneser Chapel from 5.30-8.30pm.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
The Greater Manchester walking trail with a sun-trap café worth a visit on a sunny day
This week, Greater Manchester has been basking in the sunshine as spring officially gets underway. Temperature highs of 19C were forecast on Thursday, while today, the mercury is expected to reach highs of 20C. The weekend isn't shaping up too badly either, which will be welcome news to families as the Easter Holidays get underway. Next week, there will be more sun too with hardly a cloud in the sky. READ MORE: The city centre beer garden behind a main road in the oldest part of Manchester READ MORE: The waterside beer garden in Greater Manchester that feels like you're on holiday Now that the clocks have gone forward, and with the Easter Bank Holiday fast approaching, we'll all have some time to enjoy the warmer weather and plan ahead for those days off work. One of the best way to spend a sunny day is a leisurely stroll that incorporates a few stop-off points for either a coffee, a bite to eat, or a pint should you feel inclined. And if you're looking to keep things local over the next few weeks, there's plenty of options across Greater Manchester. One of those that is accessible to many is the The Fallowfield Loop, a traffic-free route which curves its way through the suburbs of south Manchester, connecting Chorlton with Fairfield in Tameside. The walking and cycling trail passes through Fallowfield and Levenshulme along the way, stretching on for around eight miles. Along the former railway line, the route passes close by several parks, which are good stop-off points. The route begins at St Werburgh's Metrolink Stop in Chorlton-cum-Hardy before travelling through the suburb of Levenshulme, past Debdale Park and Gorton reservoirs before ending up to Fairfield station. Opened in 1892, the Fallowfield Loop railway line provided a route to Manchester Central railway station. It stopped serving passengers in 1969, becoming a freight-only route, and then closed completely in 1988. The route was abandoned until a group of cyclists campaigned to convert it into a traffic-free green corridor through south Manchester, forming Friends of Fallowfield Loop in 2001. Today it's mostly owned by the charity Sustrans and the loop is part of the National Cycle Network Route 60. You can attempt the whole route in one go, or choose a more manageable smaller section. Along the way there are detours you can take, depending on whether you want to explore the cafes and shops of Chorlton or Levenshulme, or have a wander around one of the parks. If you opt to stop off in Levenshulme for a bit of lunch or a coffee, there are a number of place to try. There's Nordie wine and cocktail bar with pizzas from Soap Street Pizza; Sips & Dips with their authentic Lebanese dishes; and Long Boi's Bakehouse with its stellar range of cakes and croissants. If you have a little longer to linger, and the sun is out, just off from the loop is Station South, a destination cycle cafe, bar, bike workshop and urban garden. In 2022, after almost five years of fundraising, construction, blood, sweat and tears, the old railway station house was reopened. The project was a labour of love for its co-directors and local residents Pauline Johnston, Abigail Pound and Mark Jermyn, who formed a collective to save the dilapidated building and restore it to its former glory. Straddling the Fallowfield Loop cycleway, it provides a great natural break spot for cyclists and families walking the near eight mile route. Outside the space, there's a terrace area and pathway up to the loop, making it a great place to grab some food, a drink and soak up the sun. From brunch to Sunday lunch, and big burgers to sharing and small plates, visitors can fill up on fresh, seasonal food prepared daily - and they also do cracking Sunday roasts. The kitchen is open from 9:30am every day until 8:30pm Wednesday to Saturday and until 7pm on Sunday.
