STEPS are being taken to improve St John’s Church footbridge in Kenilworth.
The popular path across the footbridge, between Clarke’s Avenue and Farmer Ward Road, is being improved thanks to joint funding from Warwickshire County Council and Kenilworth Town Council.
Works are expected to start on Monday (March 20) and hopefully be completed by March 28. The footbridge will be closed for the duration of the works and an alternative pedestrian route will be available via Clarke’s Avenue, Warwick Road, Birches Lane and Farmer Ward Road.
In June last year, Kenilworth residents were invited to share their views on proposed improvements to widen and resurface the path to create a shared use route for walking and cycling, and the removal of barriers. Over 100 responses were received, with a strong level of support for the proposals.
Some minor changes were made to the design in response to the local feedback and additional design work was commissioned to provide connections on either side of the path, including cycle routes to the new Kenilworth School site.
WCC’s transport spokesman Coun Wallace Redford said: “I am really pleased to be working in partnership with Kenilworth Town Council to provide a more attractive and useable connection between east and west Kenilworth for people of all ages and abilities. We want residents in Kenilworth, including school children, to be able to choose to walk and cycle for short, local journeys. We are working hard to improve and extend the active travel opportunities in the town.”
Andrew Milton, Chair of Kenilworth Town Council’s Cycle Delivery Group, added: “It’s fantastic to see this project coming to fruition. It’s a small step but a great example of how collaboration between different councils and our local community can help makes things happen. We need to do much more to really enable safe, active travel in our town for everyone but this is a great place to start.”
The works will be undertaken by WCC’s Highways Contractor Balfour Beatty Living Places.
For more information visit https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/cycling/cycle-route-schemes-consultation/5
