Connect2 Kenilworth to be completed
The Connect2 Kenilworth scheme, the joint project between Warwickshire County Council and Sustrans, is to be completed as planned, including the pedestrian and cycling bridge over the A429 Coventry Road.
Sustrans and Warwickshire County Council will now be working together to secure the full funding package for the new bridge and network of improved off-road paths, making it safer and easier for people to get around without using their car.
The scheme is funded in part thanks to the Big Lottery Fund, who awarded Sustrans £50million in 2007 to develop new walking and cycling routes across the UK.
Cllr Alan Cockburn, Warwickshire County Council’s portfolio holder for Environment & Economy, said: “We have reached an agreement to proceed which is good news for Warwickshire in these difficult times.
"Massive pressures on all our budgets meant that we were forced to look for savings, but because of the merits of the scheme all parties have been prepared to ‘go the extra mile’ to ensure that it can be completed as planned.
“Warwickshire County Council has always supported the Connect2 scheme, but the present financial climate handed us a problem with funding the bridge aspect - although we fully understand that for Sustrans the bridge provides the best means of providing a safe and user friendly connection.
“We met with the chief executive from Sustrans recently, and have been able to agree a deal which gives extra value for money to the Warwickshire taxpayer. With this agreement in place, we are more than happy to proceed with the scheme.”
Yvonne Gilligan, Sustrans’ Regional Director for the West Midlands, commented, “We are delighted to have reached this agreement with Warwickshire County Council to make sure that this project goes ahead.
“The bridge across the Coventry Road is an integral part of this scheme, providing a safe and effective method for people to get around without relying on their car. There has been so much local support shown for this scheme, and the recent petition has been a clear sign that local people want this project to go ahead.”
Cllr John Whitehouse, chair of the Connect2 Kenilworth Steering Group, said: “The Connect2 Kenilworth scheme is a unique project in Warwickshire in many ways. It was voted for by many thousands of local residents in 2007, and the recent mass petition to WCC demonstrated the strength of on-going public support.
"To have cancelled the project now, after three years work and a lot of money spent, would have been a tragedy. I am delighted that we now have the green light to deliver the scheme as planned.”