Cycling and walking around Marlborough – Wiltshire Council want your views

Wiltshire Council is asking people in five towns across the area for their views regarding walking and cycling to help shape the future of walking and cycling routes and Marlborough is one of these towns. The others are: Tidworth, Ludgershall, Malmesbury, Bradford on Avon and Westbury.

Residents’ views and ideas will be used to help create draft Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) for Marlborough and the other towns involved ahead of a final round of consultation once the draft plans have been prepared.

What is an LCWIP, and how can it help? LCWIPs identify local cycling and walking networks and set out how these routes can be improved over time. The aim is to create safe, coherent and connected networks for pedestrians and cyclists, making it easier for people to travel on foot or by bike, and in turn helping to improve air quality, reduce traffic congestion and cut carbon emissions.

Once finalised, an LCWIP forms the basis for future cycling and walking improvements in that area. Crucially, it also helps to secure potential future funding from Active Travel England (ATE).

Cllr Martin Smith, Cabinet Member for Highways, said: “LCWIPs are essential strategic blueprints for improving cycling and walking infrastructure, so it’s important for residents of Marlborough, Tidworth, Malmesbury, Bradford on Avon and Westbury to get involved in this consultation. Their feedback will play a crucial role in shaping future walking and cycling developments in these communities.

“This stage of the consultation enables people to highlight specific improvements and suggestions they would like to see by adding comments directly onto a map of each town.

“We have committed, through our Business Plan, to promoting more walking and cycling, and these LCWIPs will help turn that ambition into reality.”

his consultation is open from Monday 23 February until Monday 23 March. To find out more and share their views, click here.

A cynic might say that getting people out of cars and on to bikes or into walking shoes is cheaper and easier than fixing potholes or dealing with incessant roadworks. But thankfully such cynics are few and far between….