Active Travel

This exciting project involves a wide range of partners, including the County Council, Local Area Partnerships, the Norfolk Rural Community Council (NRCC) and Cycling England, to work together to improve the provision of multi-purpose cycleways and footpaths right across the district.

Project Aims

PRIMARY AIMS:

To provide a network of safe, multi-purpose routes to local services within the North Norfolk district, for pedestrians and cyclists suitable for all ages and abilites (including pushchairs, wheelchairs and mobility vehicles). The routes must be pleasant to use and enhance the natural environment.
Improve access to key services, such as schools, employment and training opportunities, doctor's surgeries and health facilities, shops and post offices and leisure and recreational facilities, such as play areas and country parks.
To target areas of rural and social deprivation, according to need.
To offer real alternatives to other modes of motorised transport and make healthier and environmentally friendly choices easier to make, improving safety, health and wellbeing.
According to need, some routes will link villages, where one village offers essential services (e.g. school, shop, health centre, recreational facilities) and is used by neighbouring villages. Some routes will provide access to town centres and service hubs from surrounding villages.

SECONDARY BENEFITS

Enhance North Norfolk's tourism offering, supporting the local economy. The attraction of routes by local people and visitors will be boosted by interesting signposting and information boards relating to local sites of interest (promoting the use of these spaces), and incorporation of art work by members of local communities.
Environmental protection and enhancement of the area.
Promotion, education and raised awareness of nature through community activities, ie planting, hedge maintenance, enhanced biodiversity, protection of species etc. Travelling on such a route should be a pleasant experience and reducing the number of car journeys will also help protect North Norfolk's beautiful environment
Community involvement and social cohesion through community events, arts and heritage activities to help advertise the routes and encourage usage. This might include sculptures, willow-weaving shelters etc.
Increased community involvement and capacity of Area Partnerships through consultation work in their area and the formation of community groups to help champion and develop the routes.
Routes would be suitable for joggers and exercise referrals by GPs.
An opportunity would exist to link to cycle training.

MEETING NATIONAL, REGIONAL AND LOCAL TARGETS

Increasing physical exercise, thereby contributing to meeting the targets in the Government white paper 'Choosing Health' (Jan 2005) and the Department of Health 'Healthy Living' initiatives.
Promoting the benefits of physical exercise will in schools, health centres and at community events, concurrently with provision of each route. This links to Norfolk's LAA, including Healthy Schools and Safer and Healthier Journeys to School objectives.
Contributing to NNCP priorities including environmental and economical objectives and the overarching priority - 'a nice place to live, work'.
Reducing the number of children and young people who are victims of fatal or serious road accidents (Norfolk Road Casualty Reduction Partnership target in LAA).
Increase level of physical activity by 1% annually (up to a maximum which is defined in Government health targets).
Helping to reduce carbon emissions and encouraging use of environmentally-friendly forms of transport for short journeys.

During June 2007, a number of consultation events were held across the district which identified a number of possible routes. A short-list of 6 potential pilot routes or schemes has been drawn up for further investigation and feasibility work is underway to investigate costs and land ownership.

The project team are working closely with local community groups to help champion and develop each route. View a copy of the Active Travel leaflet with information for/about community groups (pdf 554Kb) (please note this is currently being updated and revised).

Expenses incurrred by community groups can be claimed, for example to help towards the costs of arranging meetings etc. There is a limited budget and any claims must be made through the recognised local champion/lead. View the guidance notes (MS Word 65Kb). Please let us know if you need this in another format.
The six routes are:

R1 - Sheringham to Cromer - please contact Paul Powell at the Poppyland Partnership for more information at Merchant's Place, Cromer 01263 519454 or paul@cromercentre.co.uk

R2 - North Walsham to Mundesley (via Knapton) - please contact Tricia Doidge for more information at tricia.doidge@btinternet.com

R3 - Letheringsett to High Kelling - please contact Gary Grunwald at the Holt Area Partnership on 01263 713456 or holttown@tiscali.co.uk

R4 - 'Three Rivers Way' - Hoveton to Potter Heigham via Horning - please contact Anita Turpin 01692 631351 or info@threeriversway.org.uk
You can view the Association's website at www.threeriversway.org.uk here

R5 - Ingham to Stalham - please contact Mary Bennett, clerk to Ingham Parish Council on 01692 581182 or amarybennett@hotmail.co.uk

R6 - Southrepps to Lower Southrepps and Gunton Station - please contact Tina Wegg on 01263 516248 or tina.wegg@north-norfolk.gov.uk
View a working copy of a map outlining the proposed scheme in Southrepps (2Mb pdf)

The routes are at various stages of development and more information on each one will be posted here soon, including location maps.

Get in touch with the contacts above, your Local Area Partnership or Tina Wegg on 01263 516248 or tina.wegg@north-norfolk.gov.uk to find out more.

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