Have your say on improving how we cycle and walk in county

LEICESTERSHIRE residents are being given the chance to help shape improvements to cycling and walking provision across the county, with the launch of a county council engagement survey.

The council is working to create a strategy which aims to help people to make more sustainable and healthy travel choices, by increasing the number of journeys by bike or on foot.

Residents, businesses, parish councils, voluntary groups and partner organisations are being encouraged to give their views on how cycling and walking could be made easier, by completing a short survey, by Wednesday, March 10. This is available at: www.leicestershire.gov.uk/cycling-and-walking-survey

Councillor Trevor Pendleton, cabinet member for highways and transportation, said: “We are committed to supporting more people to make sustainable travel choices, which have huge benefits to both physical and mental health, as well as helping the environment through the reduction of carbon emissions.

“This is all part of our pledge to have the whole county with net zero carbon emissions by 2045 .

“We are asking people from across Leicestershire – whether they currently cycle and walk or not – to share their experiences of travelling and tell us what is important to them. We have seen more people cycling and walking during the pandemic, so now is a great time for people to give us their views.

“The views which we receive through the survey will be used to shape the future strategy and action plans, so people can be assured that their responses will be taken into account and will play their part in forming our cycling and walking infrastructure for future generations.”

The views submitted through the survey will be used to create the new cycling and walking strategy, which is due to be published in summer 2021.

Once published, the strategy will help to inform future plans to improve pavements and cycleways, as well as supporting funding bids to Government to enable the delivery of improvements.

In May 2019, the council declared a climate emergency and set a goal to be carbon neutral in their own activities by 2030. In December 2020, the authority went one step further, pledging to reach net zero carbon emissions for the whole county by 2045 – five years ahead of the government target of 2050.