Improvements to boost walking and cycling and improve road safety in two parts of Suffolk are taking shape following consultations with the public.
Designs to encourage walking, cycling, and wheeling are being progressed for West Felixstowe and on the road between the villages of Copdock and Capel St Mary.
Following two public consultations, which took place in 2023 and 2024, the schemes are now being refined to take into account the feedback received.
The vision is to make the neighbourhoods around Maidstone Road, Grange Road and Ferry Lane in Felixstowe safer and easier to walk and cycle, particularly for those children and families who go to the local schools.
They are part of a package of schemes across Suffolk the county council is working on following funding from Active Travel England.
The scheme for West Felixstowe covers the area around three schools – SET Felix primary school, Grange Community primary school and The Bridge school. Following feedback from residents and students from Felixstowe High School, Suffolk County Council is now reviewing the designs to: retain existing levels of on-street parking within the neighbourhood; see if shared-use paths for pedestrian and cyclists are appropriate or if there is an alternative solution to provide safe space for cycling; consider how to improve traffic flows along the northern section of Maidstone Road; ensure the design of the junction of Maidstone Road and the High Road allows people to cross; ensure spaces outside SET Felix and Grange primary schools create a safe environment for families accessing them; consider if there are sufficient safe crossing points for pedestrians; consider where 20mph limits might be appropriate to make it safer for pedestrians and cyclists and adding in design features to support this; and decide on how to prioritise different elements of the scheme for delivery.
The council will review the designs before moving on to fully detailed plans ready for construction, which it is hoped will begin during 2025.
The scheme for Copdock and Capel St Mary is along a 3.5 mile route between Whights Corner on London Road in Copdock and finishing at the junction of The Street and Cedar’s Lane in Capel St Mary.
Based on feedback from the consultation, Suffolk County Council is now reviewing the designs to: give the easiest possible access to Copdock village hall and best location of the proposed crossing; ensure residents on London Road can access their driveways without compromising the safety and convenience of people walking and cycling; ensure there is sufficient room for HGVs to turn in and out of London Road; consider extending the designs past Whight’s Corner to link up to the existing cycle route to the Ipswich Park and Ride Service at Copdock; consider how to encourage reduced speeds on London Road; and consider the design of the existing zebra crossing outside Capel St Mary Primary School.
Work is now under way to identify funding sources for this scheme.
Councillor Chris Chambers, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Transport Strategy, Planning and Waste said: “Public consultations help us shape and design the urban environment for the benefit of the people living and working within it and I thank everyone who contributed.
“These proposed improvements for Felixstowe and from Copdock to Capel St Mary are the latest chapter in the story of how Suffolk residents continue to benefit from more than £10m of funding from Active Travel England to date. Through this funding we can make it easier for people to travel around Suffolk more sustainably.”
