Have your say on Towcester Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan

Overview

We are seeking your comments and views on the draft Towcester Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan. 

West Northamptonshire Council have worked with transport consultants PJA, who are involved in writing the Department for Transport Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) technical guidance, and we are now consulting on our own Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans which detail proposed schemes to make it safer and easier for people to walk, wheel, or cycle. This will help residents and visitors to think about making more journeys actively where they can. 

Background 

The Government has an ambition to make cycling and walking a natural choice for shorter journeys. Introducing more ways to travel by means other than motorised transport will help to reduce traffic and congestion, improve air quality and improve people’s physical and mental health and wellbeing, and increase access to education and employment. 

LCWIPs are the first step in identifying possible schemes, so that over time, joined-up walking and cycling networks are delivered. We have developed LCWIPs for the towns of Brackley, Daventry and Towcester. There will also be a Plan for Northampton which will be consulted on later this year.

The proposals are in an early stage of development and give an indication of what can be delivered.

This consultation relates to the LCWIP for Towcester. Having a LCWIP for Towcester will:

• Help us to be in the best position to secure more funding for walking and cycling schemes and make sure our projects provide the best value for money by focussing on those areas likely to have the biggest increases in walking and cycling,

• Help us work proactively with other partners such as National Highways, Network Rail and other stakeholders, including developers, who have access to other sources of funding.

We have developed this work by engaging key stakeholders, and we are now seeking wider views on the proposals.

Documents 

The Towcester LCWIP is a large and complex document. To help people to respond the consultation, we have created a summary document which summarises the key points and outlines the key proposals. To accompany this, we have also produced a glossary document.  

• Draft Towcester LCWIP summary document
• Glossary document

More detailed information is provided in the following technical report and appendices:

• Draft Towcester LCWIP – technical report 
• Appendix A – Plans 
• Appendix B – Audit Tables 
• Appendix C – Design Recommendations
• Appendix D – Prioritisation
• Appendix E – Costings 

What happens next?

We will review the feedback from the consultation and will use it finalise the document before it is taken to Cabinet to make a decision on approving.

The next stage following consultation will be to undertake feasibility design on the proposals to understand what is possible in a particular area. As part of developing schemes up in more detail, further stakeholder and public consultation would be undertaken on a scheme-by-scheme basis.

How to provide your views

We want to hear the views of local businesses, residents, as well as other interested parties and stakeholders.

You can tell us your views by completing the following questionnaire.

You do not have to answer all the questions. If you don’t want to answer a question, or don’t know the answer, then move on to the next question. 

For further information, if you have difficulties accessing the consultation, or would like a copy of this questionnaire in another format please contact Esme Cushing, Principal Transport Planner at LocalTransportPlan@westnorthants.gov.uk

This consultation closes at midnight 25 February 2024.