Agenda item

The panel received a presentation from Assistant Director of Housing & Communities, Kerry Purnell regarding the current position of the Greenway Strategy.

The meeting heard that the project had originally commenced under the former East Northamptonshire Council (ENC), with an ambition to create green infrastructure following the Nene Valley with delivery of connectivity including walking and cycling opportunities between Peterborough and Wellingborough, with a number of routes established around Rushden and Higham Ferrers.

Since unitarisation, a new Programme Board had been established with key external partners and stakeholders brought together including four NNC ward members to represent each of the former district and borough areas. The board agreed to develop a North Northamptonshire Greenway Strategy, with funding to undertake that work obtained through the Shared Prosperity fund, building on existing work and funding obtained in 2021 to undertake a feasibility study for the proposed Rushden to Wellingborough phase.

Lessons had been learned from the previous work completed by ENC, feeding into the new overarching strategy that had been created using a strong evidence base, with significant policy work, data collection and engagement with stakeholders undertaken. High level costings had been put together and complex issues considered, such as potential amendments to Rights of Way and where the proposed Greenway routes potentially crossed private land.

The process to develop the strategy had been undertaken utilising the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan process, following national best practice and a number of design recommendation booklets for the various proposed routes had been produced. More detailed feasibility studies could be undertaken using these as the project moved forward.

The meeting noted that consultants had been appointed early 2023, working alongside the Council and stakeholders to get the strategy to its current stage by undertaking significant data collection and policy reviews.

It was heard that the Greenway Strategy was currently out for public consultation for a period of six-weeks, seeking views from respondents particularly with regard to prioritisation of proposed routes.

The meeting received details of the vision and objectives of the strategy, a  countywide rural network of safe, largely traffic-free walking, wheeling and cycling routes, connecting to towns and employment, leisure, tourism, and education destinations. It was noted that delivery of the strategy would be more challenging than its development.

High-level costings for the strategy were provided to the meeting, that noted an approximate cost of £38.1m for delivery of the whole proposal. When funding opportunities arose, the Council would have feasibility studies in place to allow for positive funding bids to be made.

The meeting heard that four routes had been identified to include in the design recommendations child document accompanying the strategic masterplan. These routes had been informed by prioritisation scores, which routes have existing feasibility studies and the need to ensure a fair spread of routes across North Northamptonshire. The routes were:

·       Rothwell to Kettering

·       Wellingborough to Wollaston via Irchester

·       Burton Latimer to Irthlingborough

·       Kettering to Thrapston

Councillors asked questions in relation to:

·       The public consultation process

·       Road safety to encourage cycling and walking

·       Connectivity with towns to employment/leisure/housing

·       Links between Kettering and Corby; including Boughton House and Wicksteed Park

·       Prioritisation of routes once funding was obtained

·       Promotion of the public consultation

·       Lighting of routes

·       Whether the Greenway would go through Irchester County Park

·       Whether S106 monies could be utilised for routes outside of the four prioritised routes if the opportunity arose

·       Consultation details to be circulated to members

·       Tempering expectations in relation to timescales in development of the Greenway

The Chair thanked the Assistant Director of Housing & Communities for the presentation and noted that promotion of the consultation was of great importance as the public had significant interest in the issue. The Chair stated that this type of strategy was of exactly the sort where councils should be leading the way, feeding into the Big50 priorities identified as part of that process, whilst noting the need to temper expectations of delivery times as a long-term project.