Suffolk County Council secures £7.9 million for active travel schemes across county

Suffolk County Council has been awarded £7.9 million to boost active schemes across the county.

The money has come from Active Travel England (ATE) and will be spent on seven projects encouraging cycling and walking through measures such as cycle lanes, shared-use paths and improved crossing points on roads. 

They include two mini-Holland schemes totalling more than £5m for Woodbridge, £1.3m for Grange Road in Felixstowe, and £1.2m for the route between Ipswich Hospital and the University of Suffolk.

Mini-Holland schemes prioritise cyclists and pedestrians over motorised vehicles. £4m will be spent on a scheme in Woodbridge town centre which would see measures including:

• Quay Street junction pedestrian friendly surfacing and crossings
• Cumberland Street – one-way reversal
• Church Street – one-way northbound and pedestrian friendly surfacing
• Reorganisation of parking to create traffic calming on Burkitt Road
• One-way only system on Theatre Street
• Improved signalisation to prioritise cyclists at Thoroughfare junction
• Reversal of one-way direction on Thoroughfare
• Pedestrian/cycling crossing on Ipswich Road

A further £1.1m will be for a similar scheme in the south of the town including filter systems at Sandy Lane, Bilney Road/Grunisburgh Road junction, and Bullards Lane, installing a pedestrian/cycle crossing at Ipswich Road/Old Barrack Road, turning Peterhouse Crescent into a school street for Kyson Primary School, and an area wide 20mph speed limit.

Separately, Suffolk County Council is about to submit a feasibility study to the government which, if accepted, could see millions of pounds spent on expanding the mini-Holland system across the town and neighbouring Melton.

Some of the schemes, such as Ipswich Hospital to the University, have previously had improvements made under previous ATE funding rounds but this new money will link up and enhance that previous work.

The full list of schemes is:

• Woodbridge (Town Centre) Mini-Holland - £4,005,000
• Grange Road Felixstowe- £1,318,000
• Ipswich Hospital to University of Suffolk - £ 1,227,950
• Woodbridge (South) Mini-Holland - £1,125,000
• Ipswich - £105, 149 to be spent on 12 schemes including the east-west Ipswich town centre route, Crown Street to Ipswich Waterfront and general travel to school in the borough
• Bury St Edmunds East/West Route - £105,149
• Capel St Mary to Copdock - £46, 967

The council will consult with the public throughout 2023 with a view to starting work on all schemes in 2024.

Councillor Richard Smith, Suffolk County Council’s Cabinet member for Economic Development, Transport Strategy and Waste, said:

“I am delighted that tonight Active Travel England has confirmed Suffolk is to receive nearly £8 million in funding for active travel scheme across the county.

“This is money that Suffolk County Council bid for and will fund projects in Ipswich, Woodbridge, Bury St Edmunds, Capel St Mary and Felixstowe.

“We welcome this funding and look forward to investing it in projects that will help protect and enhance our environment whilst, at the same time, helping people to travel sustainably.”