Funding boost for walking and cycling links

Plymouth City Council has been awarded £242,000 to improve walking and cycling links between the Plym Valley Trail and Saltram Countryside Park.

The funding forms part of a larger award made by the Department for Transport’s Cycle Ambition Fund to Devon County Council’s ‘Granite and Gears’ project, which aims to improve cycling access to Dartmoor from across the county.

Improvements will include two new cycle crossings on Coypool Road and enhancements to the crossing on the slip road to Plymouth Road, adjacent to the speedway track. The pavement on the slip road will also be widened to accommodate both pedestrians and cyclists, as will the pathway opposite the Coypool park and ride.

The project will provide safer access to Saltram and the Plym Valley, especially for families and less confident cyclists. It will also enable people to cycle from the city centre to Dartmoor along the National Cycle Network (NCN) Route 27.

These improvements form part of a master plan for Saltram which has already seen upgraded entrances to the park from Marsh Mills and The Ride, new routes from Plympton St Maurice and the creation of the Plym Valley Heritage Trail, thanks to support from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Partners have included the Forestry Commission, Sustrans, the Devon Wildlife Trust, South Hams District Council and the Environment Agency. Works have also been carried out by the National Trust and Woodland Trust Estates.

The Saltram Countryside Park master plan is one of the key strategic projects in the Council’s Green Infrastructure Plan, which looks to open up Plymouth’s green spaces for its growing population.

Deputy Council Leader Peter Smith said: “This link will improve access to and from the popular Plym Valley Trail, which is enjoyed by more than 300,000 people annually, as well as add to Plymouth’s expanding walking and cycling network. We’re pleased to be able to work with Devon County Council on the delivery of these important works.”

Work on the Coypool Road improvements is expected to begin in July and should be complete by late summer.

The decision to include the improvements in the Council’s capital programme was signed this week and may be subject to call-in for scrutiny.