It could soon get a lot easier to walk and cycle around one of Somerset’s largest towns under new council proposals.

Somerset County Council has published its new local cycling and walking infrastructure plan for Bridgwater following extensive consultation with cycling groups and other local authorities.

The plan involves the creation of new, safe walking and cycling routes, as well as the enhancement of the existing Bridgwater Way and wider network, to encourage people to travel around the town more sustainably.

The improvements will gradually be phased in over the next ten years as funding becomes available from central government, housing developers and other sources.

The plan acknowledges that there are a number of “physical barriers” to cycling in Bridgwater which need to be urgently addressed.

These include a lack of safe crossings over the railway line (especially the pinch point on the A39 Bath Road), heavy traffic on The Broadway, and regular congestion on the M5, A372, A38 and A39.

Currently, less than one in four (23 per cent) commuting trips are undertaken by walking or cycling – compared to nearly three-quarters (72 per cent) of journeys involving cars or vans, according to data from the 2011 census.

To address this, the plan includes a number of new routes and enhancements which can be delivered within the next ten years.

The improvements identified for Bridgwater are designed to connect major new developments in and around the town, such as the Strawberry Grange estate on the A372 Westonzoyland Road, the two developments either side of the A39 Quantock Road, and phase two of the Bridgwater Gateway site.

They are also intended to complement three major regeneration schemes currently being implemented – namely:

  • The Northgate Yard project being delivered by Sedgemoor District Council (which will be completed in the autumn)
  • The Bridgwater town deal (which includes the delivery of the Celebration Mile between the town centre and the railway station)
  • The improvements to the ‘Bridgwater northern corridor’ secured through the levelling up fund (which includes the Cross Rifles and Dunball roundabouts)

The following stretches have also been identified for short-term improvement, with funding already being partly or fully in place:

  • Town centre cycle parking infrastructure, such as cycle lockers and cycle parking (funded through the county council’s active travel fund)
  • New links to the Dunball roundabout and surrounding area (funded through the levelling up fund, the Bridgwater town deal and housing developments)
  • Delivering part of the Durleigh Road corridor (known as the ‘red route)’ between St. Matthew’s Field and Broadway (funded through the Bridgwater town deal)
  • Improvements to Salmon Parade and East Quay (funded through the government’s emergency active travel fund)
  • Restarting stalled small improvement schemes (SIS) or developer-funded schemes which link up existing routes (funded by the county council’s active travel fund and housing developments)
  • New connections to and from schools and college (funded through the county council’s active travel fund, the Bridgwater town deal and other sources as they become available)
  • Improvements to signage and ‘wayfinding’ to make cycle routes easier to locate and navigate (funded through the Hinkley Point C community fund)

Other projects which have been identified for improvement for the longer term (within four or more years) include:

  • Delivery of new sections of the Celebration Mile (funded through the Bridgwater town deal)
  • Completion of the Durleigh Road corridor (the ‘red route’ from St. Matthew’s Field to Durleigh Reservoir via Haygrove School (to be funded through the county council’s active travel fund and housing developments)
  • Delivery of the Bath Road corridor (the ‘blue route’ between the town centre and Bradley Line (no funding currently committed)
  • Delivery of cycling corridors in the Sydenham and East Bower areas (the ‘lavender route’) between the A39 and A372 (to be funded through the county council’s active travel fund and housing developments)
  • Delivery of a north-south route (the ‘green route’) between Chilton Trinity and North Petherton via the Northgate Docks, West Quay and the A38 Taunton Road (no funding currently committed)
  • Providing connections between housing developments and major employment sites across the town (to be funded through the county council’s active travel fund)
  • Connecting the town centre to major new developments (to be funded by housing developers)
  • Filling in ‘missing links’ and upgrading major junctions (to be funded through the county council’s active travel fund or bids to the Department for Transport)

Further into the future, the council – and its unitary successor – hopes to deliver a further lengthy corridor to connect the Gravity Enterprise Zone near Puriton with the town centre via Dunball (which has been dubbed the ‘purple route’).

The entire ‘red route’ (between Durleigh Reservoir and the town centre) is expected to cost between £4.5M and £6.1M to deliver, while the ‘green route’ between Chilton Trinity and North Petherton could cost between £2.6M and £6.7M.

The ‘blue route’ (along the A39 Bath Road) could cost up to £1.9M to implement in its entirety, while the ‘purple route’ to the Gravity site’ is currently expected to cost between £2.9M and £3.5M.

The ‘lavender route’ between the A39 and A372 could cost between £1M and £1.8M, while the LCWIP estimates that to create a ‘town centre circuit’ would cost between £9M and £12.5M – and would entail creating new links between Salmon Parade and East Quay and between Albert Street and West Street on top of the delivery of the Celebration Mile.

A spokesman said: “We will work closely with planning applicants and other stakeholders to achieve the LCWIP strategic proposals and other necessary local active travel infrastructure.

“New developments can construct good-quality cycling and walking infrastructure on-site and make financial contributions to enhance off-site routes.

“By delivering this network, based on the main movements identified in the evidence base, all residents and visitors to Bridgwater will benefit from the many positive outcomes that increased cycling and walking brings.”

The plans are intended to reflect central government’s ambitions to increase walking activity, double cycling levels by 2025 and encourage more primary school-age children to walk to and from school.

In addition to the Bridgwater, Taunton and Yeovil proposals, LWCIPs for Frome and the wider Mendip district are currently in the works – with plans for Wellington and two others expected to follow in the not-too-distant future.