What this consultation is about
The government has awarded the county council just over £1.6 million to create a new east to west cycling and walking route across Chesterfield.
The route will go from the A619 junction with Holymoor Road, along Chatsworth Road and the existing Hipper Valley Trail, through Queen’s Park, and to the hospital by using Crow Lane and Wetlands Lane.
We’d like to know what you think of our proposals. We can’t use the money allocated for anything else, or a route elsewhere. This route was chosen as it met all the criteria set out by the government and it has been identified as an important link to create a better network of safe cycling and walking routes in the town.
Why is it needed?
The route will improve walking and cycling access to workplaces, schools, Chesterfield College, the station, recreational facilities and the hospital. It will also make other general everyday trips on foot or by bike easier.
Making sure that the route is well-designed is essential, because making walking and cycling safer and more attractive means that more people will choose to do it, helping to cut traffic in the town.
The number of people cycling and walking around the town has already increased during the past year. Monitoring carried out along existing routes near the town centre has recorded a 200% increase in the number of cyclists using them, compared to 2019. The plans for the route include improving existing sections by widening and resurfacing, to provide enough space for all users and allow for better social distancing.
A number of schools are close to the route, so it is also important that the designs include protected space from road traffic and that crossing places properly accommodate both cyclists and pedestrians. An average of 51% of pupils at schools located within 500 meters of the route currently walk to school, but only 2% currently cycle or scoot, so providing safer access is an essential part of encouraging more uptake, particularly for schools on main roads, such as Chatsworth Road.
We will analyse all the feedback we receive and consider all points raised before we publish the full Chesterfield cycle route scheme details.
Our Cabinet will make a decision on this route on 14 October 2021