Plans to make Welshpool more cycling and walker-friendly

Improving and increasing cycling and walking opportunities in the Welshpool area have been proposed by Powys County Council through series of new Active Travel Network Maps (ATNM) developed following feedback from a recent engagement exercise.

The maps are available for consultation online with 11 locations in Powys, including Welshpool, included in a bid to “make Wales a walking and cycling nation”.

The council recently carried out an engagement exercise asking stakeholders how the active travel facilities and routes (walking and cycling) across Powys could be improved to enable more people to walk or cycle for short journeys.

This included ideas such as dedicated cycling lanes, zebra crossings, more public bike stands and even making pavements children and pushchair-friendly.

The ATNMs show all of the active travel routes previously identified in 2016/17, along with the suggestions and aspirational additions and improvements to the network following the feedback received during this year’s engagement exercise.

The council said that the routes are currently “aspirational only”, and “show the communities’ vision of a future active travel network in the town”.

“The Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013 aims to make Wales a walking and cycling nation,” said Cllr Heulwen Hulme, Powys County Council Cabinet Member for Environment.

“With the recent feedback from residents, community groups, schools, families and other stakeholders, we have been able to develop updated maps identifying potential future active travel routes within the 11 designated localities (the largest settlements within Powys, as designated by Welsh Government).

“Now these plans have been drawn up, it is time to ask you once again, to take look at the potential ideas and confirm we have interpreted all your responses correctly. This final part of the consultation process is important, and we want to know we’ve got it right before we take the plans to develop the county’s active travel routes any further. The engagement we have already had with stakeholders has been invaluable and we grateful for their continued contribution.”

 These 11 ATNMs are now available to review until November 7. 

To view visit https://en.powys.gov.uk/article/3962/Active-Travel