Work begins on walkway plan with more sustainable projects planned

CHARVIL AND TWYFORD: Council plans to make Charvil and Twyford greener places to live and commute could come to fruition if funding is found.

A plan to create a safe, 1.4km pathway from Charvil to Twyford railway station is underway, with Wokingham Borough Council (WBC) chiefs applying to the Government’s Levelling Up Fund for a multi-million pound grant.

The off-road route will be a green go-between from Twyford railway station and Charvil via the Loddon Nature Reserve and Charvil Country Park and be part of WBC’s aim to improve ‘active travel links as part of a wider pledge to tackle air pollution and the climate emergency.’

Twyford falls under an Air Quality Management Area, and it is hoped that the proposed route will go towards reducing air pollution and congestion. Another main aim of the pathway, as stated in the council’s draft Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, is to link routes together within Wokingham and into Reading.

Cllr Paul Fishwick, executive member for active travel, transport and highways at WBC, said: “We’re pleased to have taken the first step in making the route from Twyford to Charvil a reality and very much hope that our application will be successful.

“It will have benefits for many residents, from those who live in the area and want to make onward trips by train, to those further afield when it becomes part of our growing network of high-quality, borough-wide walking and cycling routes.

“We know some people don’t feel safe riding on the main road in that area, and it’s vital that we find ways to make active forms of travel more comfortable and attractive if we’re going to make a serious contribution towards reducing congestion and environmentally harmful emissions.”

Other sustainable measures recently released by WBC include electric charging points in Twyford and Wargrave at Station Road, Twyford, and Braybrooke Road, Wargrave. WBC will soon be drafting its new Local Transport Plan as it looks ‘to promote healthy and environmentally friendly measures as much as possible.’