highways - active travel
Walking & Cycling Routes
The development will benefit from a comprehensive network of walking and cycling routes catering for all needs and abilities. Primary routes will provide for direct, safe and continuous access between key parts of the development as well as points of connection to foot and cycleways across the wider area.
Secondary routes will be less direct than Primary ones but provide inter-linking connections across the development as well as providing for leisure and recreational use. Existing lanes will be repurposed as greenways providing for pleasant walking and cycling recreational routes with only existing farms and cottages retaining vehicular access. The greenways will be unlit and have a country lane shared-use character.
The network of pedestrian and cycle routes has been created mindful of the topography of the land and ranging abilities of users. Routes follow the natural contours of the land in so far as possible and where inclines are encountered, they are kept to a minimum. In so far as possible all route gradients accord with the SUSTRANS guidelines.
How will the development integrate with Frome?
The development will not sit remote or isolated from the town and it is important that good active travel connections are made to key parts of it, such as the railway station, middle schools and the town centre. Additionally, walking and cycling as a recreation activity is important requiring connections to formal and informal routes.
Key active travel routes have been identified and illustrative proposals for improving walking and cycling prepared. The delivery of key infrastructure off-site has to be done in partnership with other bodies, such as the Town and County Councils, and as such it is proposed that an Active Travel fund is created to deliver such improvements and which this development will contribute to significantly.
The bypass acts to sever recreational routes from the town and the scheme proposes to provide a controlled crossing for equestrians, cyclists and walkers to address this.
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