16 travel projects will now move ahead
The green light has been given to 16 projects designed to support active travel across the Stirling area.
The various initiatives, which have a total cost of £513,000, will include measures that will also assist the economic recovery of a number of local communities following the Covid-19 pandemic.
They include new cycle infrastructure, reduced speed limits, widened paths, artwork, signage and traffic-calming measures and followed an online consultation with residents to find out the most appropriate projects to benefit from funding.
It follows Stirling Council initially securing backing for nine projects from the Sustrans Spaces for People Fund, before the consultation exercise in October saw more than 500 applications made for help.
And from those, Sustrans and council officers drew up a final list based on the fund’s criteria.
Full details are available on the council website - with projects based in Stirling, Bannockburn, Whins of Milton, Bridge of Allan, Dunblane, Aberfoyle, Callander, Plean, Fallin, Gargunnock and Killearn set to benefit.
Cllr Jim Thomson, convener of the council’s environment and housing committee, said:“it was vital we engaged with communities across Stirling to ensure these projects met the needs of local people who know these areas better than anyone.
“The feedback from residents has proved invaluable in shaping the proposals, and it’s fantastic that nearly half of the successful schemes have been proposed by residents which is a sign of a positive engagement process.
“It shows this was the right thing to do and we will continue to engage with communities as work on these important projects gets underway.”
The fund was set up to help with local authorities’response to the pandemic, with the aim of making journeys for cycling, walking and wheeling easier and improving access to the vital tourism and retail sectors as a result.
Engagement with communities on the approved plans will now take place, with delivery of the programme starting at the beginning of February.