Other Routes: It was suggested to Surrey CC that a cycle path along the River Wey from Burpham to Stoke Park should be considered, along the National Cycle Network (route) 223.
Their reply was:
"We simply wouldn’t be able to deliver this route as an alternative – most fundamentally, as it does not comply with LTN 1/20 which is a requirement for any Government funding for this kind of infrastructure, on which we are reliant. This national guidance requires provision of a segregated cycle and walking route, and this route does not allow for that segregation given the narrowness of the path.
Beyond this more fundamental issue, there are other concerns, which when combined serve to make this alternative unviable. For instance, because the route is not public highway, we would have to gain permission from land owners to construct and maintain any path adding significant legal costs and financial risk. From a resident point of view, the route does not pass by any local amenities such as the shops in Burpham or more importantly George Abbot school to provide the safe sustainable walking and cycling route that is sought, nor does it link Burpham to London Road station in an efficient or coherent route that would enable access to local facilities and key destinations in the same way that the London Road scheme does.
I hope this serves to explain why this route is not suitable as an alternative to the scheme on London Road, which is compliant with national guidance, and is designed to provide a safe, segregated and accessible route which people can join and leave at any point along the route, without having to travel its entire length perhaps away from their desired destination."
Their reply was:
"We simply wouldn’t be able to deliver this route as an alternative – most fundamentally, as it does not comply with LTN 1/20 which is a requirement for any Government funding for this kind of infrastructure, on which we are reliant. This national guidance requires provision of a segregated cycle and walking route, and this route does not allow for that segregation given the narrowness of the path.
Beyond this more fundamental issue, there are other concerns, which when combined serve to make this alternative unviable. For instance, because the route is not public highway, we would have to gain permission from land owners to construct and maintain any path adding significant legal costs and financial risk. From a resident point of view, the route does not pass by any local amenities such as the shops in Burpham or more importantly George Abbot school to provide the safe sustainable walking and cycling route that is sought, nor does it link Burpham to London Road station in an efficient or coherent route that would enable access to local facilities and key destinations in the same way that the London Road scheme does.
I hope this serves to explain why this route is not suitable as an alternative to the scheme on London Road, which is compliant with national guidance, and is designed to provide a safe, segregated and accessible route which people can join and leave at any point along the route, without having to travel its entire length perhaps away from their desired destination."