Several Boosts to Cycling Locally and Nationally

I write this as a pandemic affected 2020/1 Olympics is in progress in Japan.  We've seen another record start for Team GB with unprecedented success in the pool but not so much success in rowing (imagine writing that a few Olympics ago).  The main cycling events are still to come and the hope of more medals to add to the gold and silver in BMX.  In Olympic terms today is now known as Super Saturday and hopefully it will be for Team GB.

This blog article won't bring gold medals but does report some excellent news for cyclists and walkers both locally and throughout the UK.

Firstly there have been changes made to the Highway Code following consultation exercises during the last year.  The main strand of the changes relate to a hierarchy of responsibility.  This places the most vulnerable road users in a collision - pedestrians - at the top of the hierarchy and those most likely to inflict harm - large vehicles - at the bottom.  Those at the bottom of the hierarchy will have more responsibility to reduce danger to other users, whereas currently everyone has the same responsibility, including children.

The changes, if approved by Parliament, will manifest themselves in terms of priority given at crossings and at junctions and aim to underpin a strategy not only to promote safety, but also to support sustainable transport more.  A key message is that everyone is still responsible for their own safety and that of others.

The changes will come into effect this Autumn.  To read more about the changes and reaction from Living Streets, click here.  To read more about the Government response to the consultation click here.

The article from Living Streets mentions the £338million package to boost walking and cycling following the boom in activity over the last couple of years.  This isn't a totally new £338million but is is around a 30% increase from the £257million budget allocation announced last year.

There are several projects within this including bikeability and supporting e-bike initiatives as well as incorporating the proposed Highway Code changes mentioned above.  To see more detail click the link to an article on the Government website.

Meanwhile a £30 million funding stream referred to as the Department for Transport's 2021/22 capability fund has been announced.  This is allocated to all local authorities in England outside of London for active travel purposes.

Sustrans have welcomed the announcement and details some of the projects that will benefit from the investment in an article that can be read by clicking here.  Those projects include some funding of changes within Burton-on-Trent affecting a local section of NCN 63 so hopefully further blog articles will appear soon with more exciting details.

Further along NCN63 there are some more exciting development plans which have recently been made public.  On the outskirts of Swadlincote off William Nadin Way there is a proposed Urban Park with Walking and Cycling at the heart of it's design.  A previous blog article had updated progress on the section between Swadlincote Town Centre and Burton via Newhall.  The proposed park would form one part of the link.

The park is currently subject to planning permission and this is currently under consideration.  To view the documents and/or comment on the application use this link.  Most information is contained within the Landscape, Design and Access Statement which shows maps and artists impressions of the plans.  This document is detailed and well worth a read.

Funding for the park is to come partly from development money from the adjoining housing estates via Section 106 but also depends on successful bids from British Cycling and Sport England.  To achieve the funding the plans needed to match certain design criteria, hence the ambitious nature of the project. The 4 main parts of the 1st phase are:

• Links to the existing and in progress parts of the National Cycle Network
• A 1.14km cycle route designed primarily for family use.
• A pump track ideal for BMX and scooters.  
• A learn to ride zone - this would be set out like roads but be a safer learning space.

A further phase is planned once established to add landscaping, art trails and extension of the pump track, subject to further funding.

An indication of the plan from the Landscape, Design and Access Statement

The infrastructure itself is very impressive and provides a point of interest and activity on the growing cycle network and will be a significant part of completing NCN63 which will traverse the new developments via several possible routes.  There is potential to link residential communities with the town centre, schools and work places significantly more with this development and encourage Healthier Lifestyles in doing so.

The potential benefits go far beyond this though - it could provide a focal point which would connect residents from existing communities and those from the new developments.  It could also provide a location for a hub of cycling and walking activities that we have advocated and provided in the past.  It's also good to see something that has family use at its heart.  I look forward to seeing this exciting project progress.

 

A closer look at Moira Junction Nature Reserve and your chance to comment on the North West Leicestershire Cycling & Walking Strategy

My initial plan for the latest blog article was to feature the change in the landscape as viewed from our local network near Tunnel Woods and Castle Gresley.  The 4 cooling towers of Rugeley Power Station finally suffered the fate of the station chimney and were demolished on 6th June.  Having followed clear blue skies on the Saturday I took position to record the moment and the change to the landscape from the picnic tables and see the towers disappear in the distance.  Sadly the weather and cloud were not so good and I may as well have tried to look for Blackpool Tower at the point of demolition.

The signal box hints at the area's railway heritage 

Whilst the changes to the landscape around Rugeley are significant, a more subtle change has recently taken place on NCN63 in Moira and I thought I'd have a closer look.

Approach from Spring Cottage

To those familiar with the area I am referring to the stretch between the Spring Cottage Road lodges and up to the Youth Hostel.  Part of the Conkers Circuit, this section marks the start of the Ashby Wolds Heritage Trail and is where the route turns away from running alongside the Burton to Leicester Railway Line to follow the Ashby and Nuneaton Joint Railway.  Formerly this was a railway junction, hence the signal box and was also the site of a train depot and the Overseal sidings until 1966.

One of the information boards

In 1991 work started to change it into a nature reserve with ponds formed between the embankments of the 2 lines.  In 1994 it was designated as a Local Nature Reserve.  For the last 20 years it has been a feature of part of the Conkers circuit where the route turns back towards Conkers away from the old railway line and has been complimented by the Youth Hostel, campsite and more recently the interpretation hub which features information about the railway history.

The area features ponds and a fair amount of vegetation which make this a pleasant section of the cycle network.  Like other sections on the network the vegetation, if not controlled can cause issues both to the immediate environment and also the surface of the path due to build up over several years.

View  of one of the ponds away from NCN

In the recent winter, a grant funded project took place to improve the conservation value of the area.  We have briefly reported changes immediately noticeable from the path itself - mainly the thinning of vegetation.  As well as being good for the path, and allowing a better view of the ponds, it also allows more light for wildflowers to grow and promotes growth for bird nesting habitats.  This work was led by the ranger team at Leicester County Council and carried out with help from volunteers.

Several changes to conservation methods have taken place including controlled promotion of decaying trees to attract fungi, invertebrates and birds.  The ponds themselves have been worked on too, including cleaning.  Information boards in the area relay this information in far more detail including the breakdown of the 619 species found in the area.  I'm not sure about promoting the search for Fly Agaric - an hallucinogenic fungi found under birch trees!

NCN63 passing through the reserve

It was nice to dismount and have a walk off the route around by the ponds and around the old railway buildings which I have been told were used as air raid shelters during World War 2.  It will be nice to keep an eye on the reserve when cycling through on a regular basis.  It's a lovely part of the NCN.

Changing the subject slightly, but necessarily, the area above falls within North West Leicestershire (NWL) and NWL District Council are currently (until 9th July) running a survey on their Cycling and Walking Strategy.  This strategy mainly covers Coalville and Ashby but also covers Measham and the Heart of the National Forest area.  This is mainly aimed at residents of NWL but I filled in relevant sections as a visiting cyclist within the area and would recommend those with interest in cycling in National Forest and NWL to fill it in.  It takes around 5 minutes.

Documents about the strategy can be found on North West Leicestershire District Council Website and the actual survey can be found be clicking here.

Recent addition to Local Rides Page

During a recent route check on NCN63 I took in a ride to Hicks Lodge from my home in Castle Gresley.  Having worked on the local cycle network for quite some time I suppose I take it for granted.  The aim of the ride was to look at options for signing links from Hicks Lodge back to NCN63 in Moira. 

The link from Moira Furnace to Hicks Lodge is not part of the National Cycle Network but by signposting links between the network and places of interest it adds to the user experience.  The new link means there are now around up to 4 miles of extra traffic free cycle routes directly available off the main routes.  

Having enjoyed this particular ride more than I have done in a long time, I felt it was worth making a feature of it in our local rides page.  You can access that page via the home page and links or by clicking here.

From Castle Gresley to Swainspark (which is a link route itself) and on to the NCN63 which is also the Conkers Circuit and then Ashby Wolds Heritage trail, there are several different off road options to get to Hicks Lodge and back.  There are alternative routes around the Ashby Canal and around Donisthorpe Woodland Park, Albert Village Lake and Conkers.  You can do the full trails once at Hicks Lodge, or just cycle around the lake or follow the Gruffalo trail.  You could go round in circles, do a figure of 8 route around Conkers or just take the shortest route depending on time and who is cycling.

With most of these routes bases around railways and canals it is mainly flat with the occasional hill but generally suitable for families.  There are cafes and toilets throughout the route and plenty of points of interest, lots of nature and signs of the industrial heritage of the area.  There are several access points to enjoy the ride shown.

The link signing between Moira and Hicks Lodge will hopefully be done this year by our local team of rangers.

The route mentioned is shown in preview below.  Hopefully a map will be added in the future.

Early Spring Update / 9 million trees!

Following the snow at the start of the year we can now celebrate the arrival of Spring although even the last weekend in February saw the sun come out and with it a rather large number of users.  Levels of walkers, cyclists and runners normally only seen in the height of summer weekends were out, clearly wanting to enjoy the first weekend of decent weather.

Whilst it is good to see people out enjoying walking and cycling around the local network, we must still proceed with caution and do anything we can to avoid further lockdowns.  As rangers we are not yet doing any group activity but can do a small amount of work individually.  Online, however, we are less restricted.

Vegetation & path work in Moira

A recent update on the Paths for Everyone project was of great interest last week with a notable attendance of very nearly 100 people on a zoom presentation and feedback session.  The presentation provided an update for the Midlands and East which covers a very wide geographical area, hence the large number of rangers on the call.  One of the great parts of being a volunteer for Sustrans is working with rangers from other areas to share advice.  We have several long standing connections with rangers in Derby, The Peak District, Birmingham, Lichfield, Leicester and beyond.

Surface issues near Oakthorpe

The part of our area that was mentioned on the presentation was the work in Burton Town Centre in line with improvements to walking and cycling infrastructure.  There has been another consultation from Staffordshire County Council to discuss the proposals, although the deadline has now passed.

In other online news our friends at the National Forest Company took a novel approach to celebrate the planting of the 9 millionth tree in the National Forest.  This is a huge achievement in the 25 years since the start of the National Forest.  Due to current restrictions the event had to be done virtually and a rather famous cartoon character helped in this special occasion.  To read more, click here.

Tranquil Conkers Basin

The the improvement in the weather I took the chance over 2 weekends to look at 2 different parts of the local network.  The first was the well established section from Church Gresley to Measham for a signing and surface check whilst the second part was looking at new parts NCN63 that will link Swadlincote and Burton.

Luckily there were not many issues noted on the check of the existing areas although the previously reported surface between Donisthorpe and Measham still has some areas that have not fully bedded in.  The surface has improved significantly since it was first installed and much of the loose stone has been compacted through weathering and usage but there are still some areas worth further reporting.  Aside from that there are no significant issues and some areas had been subject to improvement.  The area around the Youth Hostel and Campsite has seen vegetation cut back and the surface cleared around the existing ponds.  Also the vegetation around Conkers Waterside and Approach to Albert Village Lake has been cut back too.

The change of season brings out not only humans but also an increase in the wildlife around the route and particularly the canal.  Moorhens and Coots were noticeably present along with the ducks.

Residential streets used too.

Multiple options but barriers.

The following weekend looked at the future of NCN63 and the important link towards Burton and around Newhall and Swadlincote.  The infrastructure for this is starting to take shape through the partially completed developments aside William Nadin Way.  Whilst still some way from being complete it is good to see some progress with much more to follow.  

With the Paths for Everyone mantra in mind, we are also checking for obstructions that might cause an issue to some users.  It was good to see that barriers that were far too close together previously have been respaced, however, their placement still needs to be scrutinised further.

Still much to do!

The links are not fully complete yet and the link between the 2 estates is currently a narrow footbridge unsuitable for riding over but there will be other links eventually.

Decent wide surface

Even at a state far from completion the developer has already put up cyclist dismount signs on one estate at a junction.  Whilst it is correct that cycling on pavements is not legal for most, putting up such signs before the infrastructure is complete tells me that cycling provision is an added extra rather than the natural focus.  No doubt there will be cars mounting the pavements to park at some point.  They know it's wrong but they don't put signs up telling drivers not to do things.

Aside from that pet of hate of mine, there looks to be plenty of optimism.  The good thing is that the estates look to have a couple of options for cycling and walking through which is good for links and variation too.  Also the surfaces are good.  Hopefully these will not only provide a through route for the National Cycle Network but also encourage people to cycle and walk to local employment areas and schools from this new community and existing local communities around the area.

We will keep readers updated on the progress as it is likely to change frequently.  Once these sections are complete we will keep an eye on progress of the route via the new golf course and through to Park Road in Newhall.  In the other direction we will also monitor work around the new development around the old council depot site.

Stay safe everyone.

Welcome to 2021

Happy new year to all readers.  I started to write this as a fresh blanket of snow settles over South Derbyshire. I’d originally wanted to post as Autumn drew to a close and the last of the golden leaves deposited themselves onto the ground but a busy run up to Christmas and a general shortage of news put paid to that.

Sparse Vegetation

Unfortunately there has not been a lot of action throughout 2020 understandably, though clearly there has been increase in walking and cycling on parts of the network.

Whilst there have not been many activities happening on he actual surface there have been some notable changes just back from the route near Conkers Campsite, with trees taken out to provide more light on some of the ponds.

With the recent falling of snow, cold weather and subsequent ice I decided to use our local NCN routes as over 50% of users do - by foot.  Our local community magazine in Swadlincote featured a walk written by a local walking enthusiast which also related to the history of the area.  The chosen route featured the section of NCN64 around Church Gresley and have a more leisurely opportunity for a route check.

Icy surface but a pleasant walk

We are looking to do update some local signing soon.  Ideally this is the sort of activity that is good to do as a group but during the restrictions due to Covid this will be done individually when weather conditions are suitable.  With the routes currently wet and muddy we'll be looking to do some remedial work when the weather is better and the rules allow a team based approach.  One of the good things about winter is that the sparse vegetation means that the signs are generally more visible.

Before Christmas we saw some sad news in relation to a group featured on the blog - the campaign for Reopening of the Ivanhoe Line
(CRIL) who were featured in this article on the blog.  Sadly the chairman of the organisation Geoff Bushell recently passed away.  Geoff put a lot of work into the project and showed great passion and determination to raise the profile of the group.   

He was always genuinely pleased that people took an interest in the work of CRIL and appreciated any support given.  Thoughts are with Geoff and his family and friends at this sad time.  I hope his immense work can be continued by others in the organisation and sure it will be.

Hope to update more soon - there is plenty to do.