Views of the public help shape sustainable travel improvements in Ipswich

Walking, wheeling, and cycling is set to get easier in Ipswich thanks to improvements on the way from Suffolk County Council.

Nacton Road, Woodbridge Road and the route from Ipswich Hospital to Ipswich Waterfront are to see better pavements and crossings plus junction enhancements following a public consultation.

The consultation took place last summer and people were asked to give their views on how they thought the roads could be improved.

These views were then incorporated as the schemes are turned into fully detailed designs ready for construction, which is expected to begin later this year and into next year.

The schemes are:

• Nacton Road – improvements between the town centre and the eastern suburbs and Ransome’s industrial estate. Proposals include a wider pavement to allow for walking and cycling, new crossings and public realm improvements.
• Woodbridge Road – improvements between Ipswich and Kesgrave. The proposals include wider pavements to allow for walking and cycling, and improved crossings filling a missing link between Kesgrave and Heath Road.
• Ipswich Hospital to Waterfront - improvements to some of the busier and harder to navigate junctions along the route to make these safer for walking and cycling.

The three projects are part of a package of schemes across Suffolk that the council is working on following funding from Active Travel England.

Councillor Chris Chambers, Suffolk County Council Cabinet Member for Transport Strategy, Planning and Waste said: “The views of the public are key in helping us to shape and design the urban environment for the benefit of the people living and working within it and I thank everyone who contributed.

“These improvements for eastern Ipswich are the latest chapter in the story of how Suffolk residents continue to benefit from more than £10 million of funding from Active Travel England to date.

“We need to make it easier for people to travel around Suffolk more sustainably and this money is helping us do that.”

Full details of the scheme and the consultation can be found on the Suffolk County Council website.

Active Travel England is responsible for raising standards of cycling and walking infrastructure and managing the national active travel budget, awarding funding for projects that improve both health and air quality.

In February it awarded Suffolk County Council £0.9 million from Round 5 of the Active Travel Fund, and £2.8 million from the Consolidated Active Travel Fund in its latest round of funding.

This is to be used on projects such as

• Better footpaths and crossing points

• Maintenance of existing walking and cycling infrastructure
• Improved cycle routes
• Traffic calming measures
• Improvements to the Public Rights of Way network
• Rail station access improvements

The county council is now considering suitable local schemes, which will be announced in the coming months.