Wigton celebrates new cycle path
Sustrans 'Free Range Kids' campaign wants to create environments for independent, active children by tackling the speed and volume of traffic and creating public space that welcomes children. To support the campaign, find out how free range your kids are and find out information and advice on how kids can be more active everyday, go to the Sustrans website
29th November 2011
A highly anticipated £95,000 cycle route in Wigton will be officially opened this weekend.
After more than three years of planning and development the first phase of the Wigton cycle network will be opened this Saturday (26 November at 2.30pm) by past and present house captains of Thomlinson junior school, Cumbria County Council Chairman John Woolley and county councillor for Wigton, Joe Cowell.
To commemorate the occasion Thomlinson junior school will host a number of side stalls at the school between 1pm and 3pm, with the ribbon cutting ceremony commencing at 2.30pm to the rear of the school.
A safe cycling network was the brainchild of a former house captain Jordan Tweddle and is already proving popular to cyclists and pedestrians. They are now able to take a route from Greenacres and West road, via Phoenix Park, to the junior or infant schools.
The project has been delivered by Cumbria County Council's highways and transport team, using funding from a Department for Transport grant and cycling charity Sustrans.
The project is part of work done between Sustrans and local authorities to connect communities to their schools, colleges and wider networks of routes, including the National Cycle Network. Local cycling organisations have also added their support.
Cllr Tony Markley, Cumbria County Council's Cabinet member for highways, said: "It's great that the county council has delivered the first part of the Wigton cycle and walking network after all the hard work from the pupils at Thomlinson junior school to get this project started.
"It's a valuable project that contributes towards improving opportunities in the Wigton and Allerdale area."
Peter Foster, Sustrans' Regional Director in the North West, said, "It's great news that this new link is to be opened, providing a new safe and direct link between communities and local schools in Wigton.
"We know that children are keen to cycle to school, and providing these routes avoiding main roads means parents can feel comfortable allowing their children to get to school under the own steam and helping them become Free Range Kids."
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