Warwickshire County Council invests in cycle routes on Alcester Road

Almost half a million pounds will be invested in improving cycle routes on Stratford’s Alcester Road.

The money, which has come from the national Getting Building Fund, was formally approved by the leader of Warwickshire County Council last week.

The cash, totalling £482,000, will focus on making the stretch along Alcester Road from the outskirts of town to Stratford station as safe and cycle-friendly as possible.

The cycle route along this section is currently fragmented, with cyclists making use of both on-road and off-road cycleways.

The new investment is expected to enable cyclists to use an off-road route into town.

Transport planning team leader Stephen Rumble said: “The aim is to have a continuous cycle route from the edge of Stratford to the station, as this section is currently rather interrupted for cyclists. We’re currently in the design process but we want something continuous and high-quality, which is as safe as possible and which will encourage more people to cycle.”

Warwickshire County Council leader Izzi Seccombe added: “This is really good news and I certainly support this investment. We want to create a more flowing system.

“It costs an awful lot of money to do this kind of thing and it doesn’t tend to go all that far, but we need to get more people out of their cars.

“We’ve worked hard to try and improve cycling infrastructure in recent years. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but this is really positive news.”

Paul Freeman, secretary of Stratford Cycling Club, said: “I’d welcome any investment in Stratford. A lot of people want to cycle but some find it a bit intimidating on the roads, so any route that can make them feel safer and encourage them to get on their bikes is a good thing.

“What I would say, however, is that over the years there has been a lot of talk about cycling initiatives in Stratford and not a lot of action by the local authority. I would say that the Greenway is the only one to my knowledge that has been successful.

“We are a very active cycle club, with more than 200 members, but there has been very little engagement with us.

“Over the past 12 months there has been a lot of talk about improving people’s wellbeing, but it’s time to actually make something happen. This latest investment is great, as long as they can make the scheme happen.”