A Draft Plan That Could Make Our Lanes Safer for Everyone

Anyone who has cycled the lane between the old mill and the canal bridge will know the feeling: a narrow stretch, a blind bend, and just enough doubt about what the driver behind you is going to do next. That stretch is one of several singled out in a draft cycling route improvement plan now open for public comment, and it is fair to say it has been a long time coming.

The proposals, put together by the parish council's transport working group with input from the local cycling club and the ramblers' association, set out a modest but practical package of measures. There is no grand scheme here, no new tarmac motorway for bikes. What there is, instead, is a deliberate focus on the small things that make a real difference: signage you can actually read, junctions where you can see and be seen, and a proper connection through to the canal towpath.

If you walk, cycle, drive, ride, or simply push a pram along these lanes, the details matter to you. Below is a summary of what is being proposed, what it would mean in practice, and how to have your say before the plans are firmed up.

Clearer Signage Along the Route

The first strand of the plan deals with wayfinding. At present, the route is marked inconsistently. Some fingerposts date back decades and point to destinations that no longer exist or are spelled differently from the maps. Others have been turned, faded, or swallowed by hedgerow growth.

The draft proposes a full audit and replacement programme, with a standard design across the whole route so that cyclists and walkers can follow it without stopping at every junction to check a phone.

• Replacement fingerposts at the six main junctions, with destination names and approximate distances in miles.
• Confirmation markers every half mile along the shared sections, so you know you are still on the route.
• New warning signs at the two points where the route crosses the B-road, mounted to be visible in both directions.
• Clearer road markings at the village end, where the route currently fizzles out without explanation near the war memorial.

The thinking behind this is simple. If people know where they are going and where they should be, they behave more predictably, and predictable behaviour is safer behaviour for everyone sharing a lane.

Safer Junctions and Crossing Points

The second strand is the one likely to generate the most discussion. Three junctions have been identified as priorities, all of them places where visibility is poor and traffic speeds are higher than the lane's character would suggest.

At the mill bend, the proposal is to set the hedge line back by roughly two metres on the inside of the curve, restoring sightlines that were lost when the boundary was last cut. This is a relatively low-cost change, though it will need agreement with the landowner and careful timing to avoid disturbing nesting birds.

At the canal bridge junction, the plan suggests a raised table across the mouth of the side road, which would slow turning traffic and give people on foot a level crossing surface. Similar treatments elsewhere in the county have reduced turning collisions noticeably, and they tend to be popular once installed, even where drivers are initially sceptical.

The third priority is the crossroads near the allotments. Here the draft proposes clearer give-way markings, a mirror on the awkward corner, and a small cut-through for cyclists and walkers that avoids the junction altogether. That last item is the one the cycling club has pushed hardest for, and it is easy to see why.

A New Link to the Canal Path

Perhaps the most welcome element of the draft is the proposed link from the top of School Lane through to the canal towpath. At the moment, reaching the canal from the village means either a long detour along the main road or a muddy scramble over a stile that is difficult with a bike, a buggy, or unsteady legs.

The proposal is for a short shared-use path of around 300 metres, surfaced to a standard that will stand up to winter use, with a gentle gradient at the canal end and a properly designed access point that does not funnel people straight into the towpath at a blind spot.

If built, this would open up a genuine circular route: village to canal, along the towpath to the lock, back through the fields and home. For families, that is a Saturday morning sorted. For commuters, it is a realistic alternative to the main road. For anyone who finds the stiles difficult, it is simply access where there was none.

What It Would Cost and When It Might Happen

It is worth being honest about timescales. The draft plan is not funded yet. The working group has estimated the total cost at a level that would need a combination of parish precept money, county highways funding, and possibly a small grant from a national cycling charity.

The likely sequence, if the plan is approved in principle, is as follows:

• This autumn: public consultation closes and comments are collated.
• Early next year: revised plan published, with a costed priority list.
• Spring and summer: funding applications submitted; landowner agreements finalised.
• Later next year: signage and junction work begin, with the canal link following once permissions are in place.

Realistically, some elements could move faster than others. Signage is cheap and quick. The canal link is neither, but it is also the piece that would change how people use the area day to day.

How to Have Your Say

The consultation is open to everyone, not just cyclists. Walkers, horse riders, drivers, farmers and anyone who uses the lanes has a legitimate interest, and the working group has been clear that it wants to hear about problems as well as support.

The next meeting is at the village hall, and the draft plan will be on display from half an hour before the start. Comments can be made in person, or submitted in writing beforehand to the parish clerk. If you cannot attend, a written note carries exactly the same weight.

Practical suggestions tend to land better than general ones, so it helps to be specific. If a particular junction worries you, say which one and why. If you have tried the canal route and found the stile impossible with a bike, say so. If you think a proposed sign would be better placed ten yards further on, that is useful too.

These lanes belong to all of us, and they work best when we design them together. Do take the time to look at the plan and tell the group what you think.