A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme

Scheme update – February 2026

We have now made various changes to the proposed design of the A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme, following feedback received during the public consultation.

The scheme will help make it easier to walk and cycle along the A1023 Brook Street/London Road, as well as connecting into a new route through the Brook Street roundabout and into Havering. It will also provide a number of new crossings along the route, making it safer and easier to cross the A1023.

The project is funded by National Highways as part of the requirements of its M25 junction 28 improvements scheme and the funding cannot be used for other purposes.

A summary of our design changes and more details about the proposals can be found in the sections below.

We are currently in the process of finalising our designs and agreeing funding with National Highways to progress the scheme.

A final decision on the project is expected to be made at Essex County Council’s Cabinet meeting in March 2026.

Summary

The proposed A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme involves creating a new shared-use walking and cycling path along the A1023 Brook Street/London Road in Brentwood. It will also provide several new and improved crossings of the A1023 and connect into a walking and cycling route through the Brook Street roundabout, which National Highways recently completed as part of its M25 junction 28 improvements scheme.

We (Essex County Council) have developed the proposed scheme on behalf of National Highways, which is required to provide a walking and cycle route from Brentwood, through junction 28 of the M25 and into Havering as part of the consent given for its wider junction project. National Highways is funding the scheme and this funding cannot be used for any other purposes, so it can’t be spent on walking and cycling routes elsewhere in Brentwood or on maintaining roads and footways.

Prior to National Highways’ recent improvements at the Brook Street roundabout, it was only possible to walk or cycle between Brentwood and Havering via the busy Brook Street roundabout, which involved using an uncontrolled crossing of the slip lane leading onto the M25, where vehicles accelerate quickly away from the roundabout.

Now National Highways has provided a safer new crossing through the roundabout, we are looking to improve the route from the junction, along the A1023 and towards Brentwood Railway Station and the town centre. This route will also connect in with other planned new east/west and north/south walking and cycling routes if and when these are developed in the future.

Ultimately, the A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme will help provide a safer and much-improved route, encouraging and supporting more people to walk and cycle, particularly for shorter journeys.



Public consultation

Having developed a proposed preliminary design, we asked for your feedback specifically on our initial designs as part of a public consultation.

The public consultation ran from Thursday 3 October 2024 until Wednesday 27 November 2024. In total, we received 279 responses, while the consultation webpage was visited 2,900 times and letters were sent to 1,200 residents and businesses. Thank you to everyone who responded and shared their views.

We have now reviewed and considered people’s feedback and used it to help us in refining our proposals to ensure they best meet the needs of the local community. The changes we are planning to make to the scheme following the feedback during the consultation are outlined in a later section of this webpage.

The consultation showed there was significant opposition to the scheme. 60% of respondents opposed the overall scheme to some extent, compared with 39% who supported it. However, analysis of the open-text feedback suggests a large proportion of those who opposed the scheme felt it was not needed or not a priority, or that funding could be better spent elsewhere, rather than opposition to specific elements of the scheme or the proposed design. It is important to note that the requirement for a walking and cycling route in this area had already been determined and set out as a requirement within the Development Consent Order for National Highways’ M25 junction 28 improvements project, and the funding cannot be used for other purposes.

Some specific elements of the scheme did receive support.

  • 62% supported the installation of new toucan crossings (a further 6% had no opinion)
  • 59% supported the introduction of additional double-yellow lines (8% had no opinion)
  • 56% agreed the proposed speed limit reduction would help create a safer environment for people walking and cycling (a further 7% had no opinion).

The full findings of the consultation are summarised in our public consultation report.

Design changes following public consultation

Having considered the feedback we received during the public consultation, we have made various changes to our designs to help address people’s concerns.

The main changes are summarised in the table below.

Consultation feedbackMain design changes
A number of people expressed safety concerns about the speed cyclists may be travelling on the downhill section of the A1023 and the risk this could pose to people who are walking on the proposed shared-use path, particularly people with disabilities, young families and older people.The proposed shared-use walking and cycling path along the A1023 will now stop/start at Westwood Avenue, where people who are cycling will either continue on carriageway via the A1023 towards the town centre or via Westwood Avenue towards Brentwood Railway Station. People who are walking will continue their journeys via existing footways. Signs and road markings will be introduced on Westwood Avenue to highlight this on-carriageway section of the cycling route. By stopping/starting the shared-use path at the junction with Westwood Avenue, people who are walking and cycling will no longer share the path on the steepest section of the route between Westwood Avenue and Kavanaghs Road. In addition, there will not be cyclists on the section of the route where there are more frequent driveway entrances. Reducing the length of the shared-use path will also help reduce the overall cost of the scheme.
Some people questioned the benefits and logic of having a short section of segregated cycleway in the vicinity of Mizu restaurant, which would then revert to a shared-use path at either end. Others also raised concerns about the impacts of closing the existing minor access road which runs parallel to the A1023, with suggestions this would make it even more challenging to turn out of the junction. We were also advised the minor access road was required for deliveries to Mizu.The minor access road will now remain open and we will provide a shared-use path instead of the previously proposed section of segregated cycleway. This will provide better continuity along the route and enable the service road to continue to be used for deliveries to Mizu restaurant and enable vehicles to exit onto the A1023. We are now proposing a staggered crossing arrangement between the northern and southern sides of the A1023, with an uncontrolled crossing of the minor access road into the central island and a Toucan crossing (a type of crossing which can be used by both people walking and cycling) between the island and the southern side of the A1023, where the shared-use path then continues up to Westwood Avenue.
Some concerns were raised about vehicles turning right out of Nags Head Lane onto the A1023 London Road sometimes turning into oncoming traffic because of the alignment of the road and existing traffic island, which makes the turning less clear.To help mitigate this issue, we are proposing to provide additional road markings which will help make the turn clearer and guide road users. We are also planning to make minor adjustments to the kerblines at the junction, however, the changes we make will be limited by existing utilities at the junction and costs.
A concern was raised by a car dealership about the proposed driveway entrance kerbs, which would have ramped up to the height of the shared-use path to enable us to keep it at a smoother and more continuous height. It was felt these would have caused issues and potential damage for low clearance vehicles accessing the car dealership.We are no longer proposing to use driveway entrance kerbs as part of the scheme. This will help resolve the issue with the car dealership and also provide cost savings to help manage the budget available from National Highways for us to deliver the scheme. We have also removed the proposed raised table at Westwood Avenue following road safety concerns relating to turning motorcycles and other two-wheelers.
Some concerns were raised about the proposed reduced carriageway widths at various points along the A1023 to provide additional space for the new shared-use path. In particular, there were concerns that the A1023 is used as a diversion route when the A12 is closed which means it sometimes experiences very heavy traffic, including larger vehicles.We have proposed to reduce the width of the road along the A1023 in certain areas of the scheme to ensure we have enough space to provide a required minimum 3m wide shared-use path along the majority of the route, allowing people walking and cycling to pass each other more easily and safely. Following feedback during the consultation, we are now proposing to make less significant reductions to the widths of the carriageway, with a minimum 3.2m width in all areas where there is only one lane in each direction. The minimum 3.2m width is in line with design guidelines.
Questions were raised about whether the proposed scheme could be extended to continue to Brentwood High Street and/or Brentwood Railway Station to provide a more complete route.While there is insufficient funding available to continue the scheme to either Brentwood High Street or Brentwood Railway Station, we are considering potential additional route improvements beyond Westwood Avenue to the railway station, as well as potential cycle parking at the station, as part of a separate project. The A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme is an opportunity to bring forward the first part of LCWIP 1 – an identified preferred east/west walking and cycling route which will connect Brentwood to Havering. We hope improvements to other sections of the route will be developed in the future when funding is available.


In addition to the design changes outlined above, we are continuing to consider our design for the proposed relocation of the westbound bus stop near the Mascalls Lane junction following concerns an in-carriageway bus stop may present a safety risk if vehicles attempt to overtake buses at the stop.

Next steps

We are now in the process of finalising our designs and agreeing funding with National Highways to progress the scheme.

Based on our current indicative programme, construction of the scheme is expected to start in spring 2027 and take approximately 12 months to complete.

Construction will be carefully managed to minimise the impact and disruption for local residents and businesses. More details will be established once a contractor is appointed to construct the scheme.

Why is the scheme needed?

In 2022, consent was given for National Highways' M25 junction 28 improvements scheme and required a cycle route to be provided from Havering, through the junction and into Brentwood. The approximate route for our scheme was agreed at this stage.

Prior to recent improvements by National Highways, it was only possible to walk or cycle between Brentwood and Havering via the busy Brook Street roundabout, which involved using an uncontrolled crossing of the slip lane leading onto the M25, where vehicles accelerate quickly away from the roundabout and it did not feel safe.

Now National Highways has provided a safer new crossing through the roundabout, we are looking to connect and improve the route from the junction, along the A1023 and towards Brentwood Railway Station and the town centre. There are currently a shortage of safe cycling and pedestrian crossing facilities along the A1023. Where there are existing paths, they are disjointed, stopping and starting on different sides of the A1023 without controlled crossing facilities. This restricts movement between the areas and makes it more difficult to access local facilities.

As set out in our new draft Essex Cycling Strategy, we want to support more people, of all ages and abilities, to cycle more safely and more often, particularly for shorter journeys. This strategy is part of our wider plans to make Essex safer, greener and healthier, and to provide better and more sustainable travel choices for everyone.

The planned new route will also form the first part of a wider walking and cycling network in Brentwood, including linking in with elements of Brentwood Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) Routes (east/west route - LCWIP Route 1, and north/south route - LCWIP Route 8) in the future. Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) are network plans for walking and cycling which identify preferred routes and core zones for future development when funding is available.

A map showing proposed future cycling routes in Brentwood, as set out it the Brentwood Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP). The map shows a number of proposed primary and secondary routes throughout Brentwood.Map showing proposed future cycling routes set out in Brentwood Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan

What is proposed?

Summary

Our proposed scheme will:

  • Provide seven new signalised crossings (six toucan crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, one puffin crossing) across and along the A1023 Brook Street/London Road.
  • Provide a well-connected and much-improved route along the A1023 Brook Street/London Road and towards Brentwood Railway Station, helping to encourage more people to walk and cycle, particularly for shorter journeys.
  • Tie-in with the recent improvements made by National Highways across the Brook Street roundabout (junction 28 of the M25), providing a better connection between Brentwood and Harold Wood.
  • Create a safer and more pedestrian and cycling friendly environment.

The scheme will involve creating a new shared-use path, primarily along the southern side of the A1023 Brook Street/London Road. The path can be used by people walking, wheeling or cycling and will tie in with the recent improvements made by National Highways at junction 28 of the M25 (the Brook Street Roundabout).

As part of our scheme, seven new or improved signalised toucan crossings will be provided at key junctions and locations along the route, making it safer for people to cross on foot or bicycle. Three informal crossings of the A1023 will also be improved.

Signs and markings will be included at the start and end of the shared-use path and at various points along the route to make it clear it is a shared facility and intended for use by both cyclists and pedestrians. The northern side of the A1023 Brook Street/London Road will remain a footway, for use by pedestrians only.

All existing commercial and residential accesses along the route will be retained.

Our latest full set of design drawings can be viewed in detail via the project drawings and images tab on this page.


Design drawing showing planned A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme (click image to open an enlarged version in a new window)


Creation of new staggered crossing

Our scheme will start near the front of the Shell service station on the northern side of the A1023 Brook Street close to the Brook Street roundabout (M25 junction 28 roundabout), where it will tie into the route through the Brook Street roundabout, which was recently improved as part of the National Highways scheme.

After passing in front of the existing Shell service station, the new shared-use path will continue past the front of the current Mizu restaurant site, where we are now proposing a staggered crossing between the northern and southern sides of the A1023. An uncontrolled crossing will be provided between the northern side of the A1023, over the minor access road and into the central island. A new signalised Toucan crossing (a type of crossing which can be used by both people walking and cycling) will then be provided to allow people to cross safely between the island and the southern side of the A1023, where the shared-use path then continues. We are now proposing to keep the minor access road which runs parallel to the A1023 to enable it to continue to be used for deliveries to Mizu restaurant and enable vehicles to exit onto the A1023.

Design drawing showing proposed staggered crossing of the A1023 Brook Street near Mizu restaurant

Safer crossings at key junctions

At the Nag's Head Lane/Wigley Bush Lane junction, we will provide signalised toucan crossings with tactile paving on three arms of the junction. This will allow pedestrians and cyclists to safely cross Nag's Head Lane, Wigley Bush Lane and from one side of the A1023 Brook Street to the other.

Design drawing showing new signalised toucan crossings at Nag's Head Lane/Wigley Bus Lane junction

Similarly, at the Mascalls Lane/Spital Lane junction, we will provide signalised toucan crossings on two arms of the junction, enabling people to cross Mascalls Lane and the A1023 London Road. On the northern side of the A1023, we will provide a signalised puffin crossing to connect the footways on either side of Spital Lane.

Design drawing showing proposed signalised crossings at the Mascalls Lane/Spital Lane junction

Our traffic modelling indicates that the new signalised crossings are not likely to have a significant impact on traffic flows or operations in the area.

We are also proposing three uncontrolled crossing points (no traffic signals) at various locations along the route, with pedestrian refuge islands to help people cross more easily and safely from one side of the A1023 to the other.


A safer speed limit for all users

We are planning to reduce the speed limit on a section of the A1023 Brook Street between the Brook Street roundabout and the start/end of the existing 30mph speed limit near the Nag's Head Lane/Wigley Bush Lane junction. This is currently a national speed limit section but will be reduced to 40mph. This will create a more gradual reduction in the speed of vehicles on the approach into Brentwood and, again, help to create a more pedestrian and cyclist friendly environment. A Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) will be required to implement the proposed change in speed limit and there will be an additional opportunity to comment on that element of the scheme as part of that process.

Design drawing showing proposed new 40mph speed limit along a section of the A1023 Brook Street


New parking restrictions

We are proposing to introduce loading restrictions in front of the Shell service station, off the A1023, to prevent any parking and waiting in the area. In addition, we are planning to introduce new double yellow lines along both sides of the road at the entrance to Vicarage Close to avoid drivers parking close to the junction. Finally, we propose to introduce new double yellow lines along both sides of the A1023 Brook Street/London Road from the proposed toucan crossing near the junction with Vicarage Close to Westwood Avenue, to prevent drivers from parking along the route and restricting use of the shared-use path or forward visibility, and make the road safer for all users. Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) will be required to implement the proposed loading and parking restrictions, and there will be an additional opportunity to comment on these elements of the scheme as part of that process.


Bus stops

All of the existing bus stops along the proposed route will be retained. As requested by Transport for London, which operates the bus services currently using this route, we had proposed to change the westbound bus stop near the Mascalls Lane junction from a bus layby to an in-line (within the main carriageway) bus stop. To achieve this safely, we proposed to move the bus stop approximately 30m to the west (away from the Mascalls Lane junction). Following concerns raised during the public consultation, we are currently reviewing this element of our design.



Contact us

If you have any questions or comments about the A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme or our public consultation, please email us at: activetravel@essexhighways.org

Before you email, you may also wish to check the Questions and Answers section on this page.

Scheme update – February 2026

We have now made various changes to the proposed design of the A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme, following feedback received during the public consultation.

The scheme will help make it easier to walk and cycle along the A1023 Brook Street/London Road, as well as connecting into a new route through the Brook Street roundabout and into Havering. It will also provide a number of new crossings along the route, making it safer and easier to cross the A1023.

The project is funded by National Highways as part of the requirements of its M25 junction 28 improvements scheme and the funding cannot be used for other purposes.

A summary of our design changes and more details about the proposals can be found in the sections below.

We are currently in the process of finalising our designs and agreeing funding with National Highways to progress the scheme.

A final decision on the project is expected to be made at Essex County Council’s Cabinet meeting in March 2026.

Summary

The proposed A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme involves creating a new shared-use walking and cycling path along the A1023 Brook Street/London Road in Brentwood. It will also provide several new and improved crossings of the A1023 and connect into a walking and cycling route through the Brook Street roundabout, which National Highways recently completed as part of its M25 junction 28 improvements scheme.

We (Essex County Council) have developed the proposed scheme on behalf of National Highways, which is required to provide a walking and cycle route from Brentwood, through junction 28 of the M25 and into Havering as part of the consent given for its wider junction project. National Highways is funding the scheme and this funding cannot be used for any other purposes, so it can’t be spent on walking and cycling routes elsewhere in Brentwood or on maintaining roads and footways.

Prior to National Highways’ recent improvements at the Brook Street roundabout, it was only possible to walk or cycle between Brentwood and Havering via the busy Brook Street roundabout, which involved using an uncontrolled crossing of the slip lane leading onto the M25, where vehicles accelerate quickly away from the roundabout.

Now National Highways has provided a safer new crossing through the roundabout, we are looking to improve the route from the junction, along the A1023 and towards Brentwood Railway Station and the town centre. This route will also connect in with other planned new east/west and north/south walking and cycling routes if and when these are developed in the future.

Ultimately, the A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme will help provide a safer and much-improved route, encouraging and supporting more people to walk and cycle, particularly for shorter journeys.



Public consultation

Having developed a proposed preliminary design, we asked for your feedback specifically on our initial designs as part of a public consultation.

The public consultation ran from Thursday 3 October 2024 until Wednesday 27 November 2024. In total, we received 279 responses, while the consultation webpage was visited 2,900 times and letters were sent to 1,200 residents and businesses. Thank you to everyone who responded and shared their views.

We have now reviewed and considered people’s feedback and used it to help us in refining our proposals to ensure they best meet the needs of the local community. The changes we are planning to make to the scheme following the feedback during the consultation are outlined in a later section of this webpage.

The consultation showed there was significant opposition to the scheme. 60% of respondents opposed the overall scheme to some extent, compared with 39% who supported it. However, analysis of the open-text feedback suggests a large proportion of those who opposed the scheme felt it was not needed or not a priority, or that funding could be better spent elsewhere, rather than opposition to specific elements of the scheme or the proposed design. It is important to note that the requirement for a walking and cycling route in this area had already been determined and set out as a requirement within the Development Consent Order for National Highways’ M25 junction 28 improvements project, and the funding cannot be used for other purposes.

Some specific elements of the scheme did receive support.

  • 62% supported the installation of new toucan crossings (a further 6% had no opinion)
  • 59% supported the introduction of additional double-yellow lines (8% had no opinion)
  • 56% agreed the proposed speed limit reduction would help create a safer environment for people walking and cycling (a further 7% had no opinion).

The full findings of the consultation are summarised in our public consultation report.

Design changes following public consultation

Having considered the feedback we received during the public consultation, we have made various changes to our designs to help address people’s concerns.

The main changes are summarised in the table below.

Consultation feedbackMain design changes
A number of people expressed safety concerns about the speed cyclists may be travelling on the downhill section of the A1023 and the risk this could pose to people who are walking on the proposed shared-use path, particularly people with disabilities, young families and older people.The proposed shared-use walking and cycling path along the A1023 will now stop/start at Westwood Avenue, where people who are cycling will either continue on carriageway via the A1023 towards the town centre or via Westwood Avenue towards Brentwood Railway Station. People who are walking will continue their journeys via existing footways. Signs and road markings will be introduced on Westwood Avenue to highlight this on-carriageway section of the cycling route. By stopping/starting the shared-use path at the junction with Westwood Avenue, people who are walking and cycling will no longer share the path on the steepest section of the route between Westwood Avenue and Kavanaghs Road. In addition, there will not be cyclists on the section of the route where there are more frequent driveway entrances. Reducing the length of the shared-use path will also help reduce the overall cost of the scheme.
Some people questioned the benefits and logic of having a short section of segregated cycleway in the vicinity of Mizu restaurant, which would then revert to a shared-use path at either end. Others also raised concerns about the impacts of closing the existing minor access road which runs parallel to the A1023, with suggestions this would make it even more challenging to turn out of the junction. We were also advised the minor access road was required for deliveries to Mizu.The minor access road will now remain open and we will provide a shared-use path instead of the previously proposed section of segregated cycleway. This will provide better continuity along the route and enable the service road to continue to be used for deliveries to Mizu restaurant and enable vehicles to exit onto the A1023. We are now proposing a staggered crossing arrangement between the northern and southern sides of the A1023, with an uncontrolled crossing of the minor access road into the central island and a Toucan crossing (a type of crossing which can be used by both people walking and cycling) between the island and the southern side of the A1023, where the shared-use path then continues up to Westwood Avenue.
Some concerns were raised about vehicles turning right out of Nags Head Lane onto the A1023 London Road sometimes turning into oncoming traffic because of the alignment of the road and existing traffic island, which makes the turning less clear.To help mitigate this issue, we are proposing to provide additional road markings which will help make the turn clearer and guide road users. We are also planning to make minor adjustments to the kerblines at the junction, however, the changes we make will be limited by existing utilities at the junction and costs.
A concern was raised by a car dealership about the proposed driveway entrance kerbs, which would have ramped up to the height of the shared-use path to enable us to keep it at a smoother and more continuous height. It was felt these would have caused issues and potential damage for low clearance vehicles accessing the car dealership.We are no longer proposing to use driveway entrance kerbs as part of the scheme. This will help resolve the issue with the car dealership and also provide cost savings to help manage the budget available from National Highways for us to deliver the scheme. We have also removed the proposed raised table at Westwood Avenue following road safety concerns relating to turning motorcycles and other two-wheelers.
Some concerns were raised about the proposed reduced carriageway widths at various points along the A1023 to provide additional space for the new shared-use path. In particular, there were concerns that the A1023 is used as a diversion route when the A12 is closed which means it sometimes experiences very heavy traffic, including larger vehicles.We have proposed to reduce the width of the road along the A1023 in certain areas of the scheme to ensure we have enough space to provide a required minimum 3m wide shared-use path along the majority of the route, allowing people walking and cycling to pass each other more easily and safely. Following feedback during the consultation, we are now proposing to make less significant reductions to the widths of the carriageway, with a minimum 3.2m width in all areas where there is only one lane in each direction. The minimum 3.2m width is in line with design guidelines.
Questions were raised about whether the proposed scheme could be extended to continue to Brentwood High Street and/or Brentwood Railway Station to provide a more complete route.While there is insufficient funding available to continue the scheme to either Brentwood High Street or Brentwood Railway Station, we are considering potential additional route improvements beyond Westwood Avenue to the railway station, as well as potential cycle parking at the station, as part of a separate project. The A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme is an opportunity to bring forward the first part of LCWIP 1 – an identified preferred east/west walking and cycling route which will connect Brentwood to Havering. We hope improvements to other sections of the route will be developed in the future when funding is available.


In addition to the design changes outlined above, we are continuing to consider our design for the proposed relocation of the westbound bus stop near the Mascalls Lane junction following concerns an in-carriageway bus stop may present a safety risk if vehicles attempt to overtake buses at the stop.

Next steps

We are now in the process of finalising our designs and agreeing funding with National Highways to progress the scheme.

Based on our current indicative programme, construction of the scheme is expected to start in spring 2027 and take approximately 12 months to complete.

Construction will be carefully managed to minimise the impact and disruption for local residents and businesses. More details will be established once a contractor is appointed to construct the scheme.

Why is the scheme needed?

In 2022, consent was given for National Highways' M25 junction 28 improvements scheme and required a cycle route to be provided from Havering, through the junction and into Brentwood. The approximate route for our scheme was agreed at this stage.

Prior to recent improvements by National Highways, it was only possible to walk or cycle between Brentwood and Havering via the busy Brook Street roundabout, which involved using an uncontrolled crossing of the slip lane leading onto the M25, where vehicles accelerate quickly away from the roundabout and it did not feel safe.

Now National Highways has provided a safer new crossing through the roundabout, we are looking to connect and improve the route from the junction, along the A1023 and towards Brentwood Railway Station and the town centre. There are currently a shortage of safe cycling and pedestrian crossing facilities along the A1023. Where there are existing paths, they are disjointed, stopping and starting on different sides of the A1023 without controlled crossing facilities. This restricts movement between the areas and makes it more difficult to access local facilities.

As set out in our new draft Essex Cycling Strategy, we want to support more people, of all ages and abilities, to cycle more safely and more often, particularly for shorter journeys. This strategy is part of our wider plans to make Essex safer, greener and healthier, and to provide better and more sustainable travel choices for everyone.

The planned new route will also form the first part of a wider walking and cycling network in Brentwood, including linking in with elements of Brentwood Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) Routes (east/west route - LCWIP Route 1, and north/south route - LCWIP Route 8) in the future. Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plans (LCWIPs) are network plans for walking and cycling which identify preferred routes and core zones for future development when funding is available.

A map showing proposed future cycling routes in Brentwood, as set out it the Brentwood Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP). The map shows a number of proposed primary and secondary routes throughout Brentwood.Map showing proposed future cycling routes set out in Brentwood Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan

What is proposed?

Summary

Our proposed scheme will:

  • Provide seven new signalised crossings (six toucan crossings for pedestrians and cyclists, one puffin crossing) across and along the A1023 Brook Street/London Road.
  • Provide a well-connected and much-improved route along the A1023 Brook Street/London Road and towards Brentwood Railway Station, helping to encourage more people to walk and cycle, particularly for shorter journeys.
  • Tie-in with the recent improvements made by National Highways across the Brook Street roundabout (junction 28 of the M25), providing a better connection between Brentwood and Harold Wood.
  • Create a safer and more pedestrian and cycling friendly environment.

The scheme will involve creating a new shared-use path, primarily along the southern side of the A1023 Brook Street/London Road. The path can be used by people walking, wheeling or cycling and will tie in with the recent improvements made by National Highways at junction 28 of the M25 (the Brook Street Roundabout).

As part of our scheme, seven new or improved signalised toucan crossings will be provided at key junctions and locations along the route, making it safer for people to cross on foot or bicycle. Three informal crossings of the A1023 will also be improved.

Signs and markings will be included at the start and end of the shared-use path and at various points along the route to make it clear it is a shared facility and intended for use by both cyclists and pedestrians. The northern side of the A1023 Brook Street/London Road will remain a footway, for use by pedestrians only.

All existing commercial and residential accesses along the route will be retained.

Our latest full set of design drawings can be viewed in detail via the project drawings and images tab on this page.


Design drawing showing planned A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme (click image to open an enlarged version in a new window)


Creation of new staggered crossing

Our scheme will start near the front of the Shell service station on the northern side of the A1023 Brook Street close to the Brook Street roundabout (M25 junction 28 roundabout), where it will tie into the route through the Brook Street roundabout, which was recently improved as part of the National Highways scheme.

After passing in front of the existing Shell service station, the new shared-use path will continue past the front of the current Mizu restaurant site, where we are now proposing a staggered crossing between the northern and southern sides of the A1023. An uncontrolled crossing will be provided between the northern side of the A1023, over the minor access road and into the central island. A new signalised Toucan crossing (a type of crossing which can be used by both people walking and cycling) will then be provided to allow people to cross safely between the island and the southern side of the A1023, where the shared-use path then continues. We are now proposing to keep the minor access road which runs parallel to the A1023 to enable it to continue to be used for deliveries to Mizu restaurant and enable vehicles to exit onto the A1023.

Design drawing showing proposed staggered crossing of the A1023 Brook Street near Mizu restaurant

Safer crossings at key junctions

At the Nag's Head Lane/Wigley Bush Lane junction, we will provide signalised toucan crossings with tactile paving on three arms of the junction. This will allow pedestrians and cyclists to safely cross Nag's Head Lane, Wigley Bush Lane and from one side of the A1023 Brook Street to the other.

Design drawing showing new signalised toucan crossings at Nag's Head Lane/Wigley Bus Lane junction

Similarly, at the Mascalls Lane/Spital Lane junction, we will provide signalised toucan crossings on two arms of the junction, enabling people to cross Mascalls Lane and the A1023 London Road. On the northern side of the A1023, we will provide a signalised puffin crossing to connect the footways on either side of Spital Lane.

Design drawing showing proposed signalised crossings at the Mascalls Lane/Spital Lane junction

Our traffic modelling indicates that the new signalised crossings are not likely to have a significant impact on traffic flows or operations in the area.

We are also proposing three uncontrolled crossing points (no traffic signals) at various locations along the route, with pedestrian refuge islands to help people cross more easily and safely from one side of the A1023 to the other.


A safer speed limit for all users

We are planning to reduce the speed limit on a section of the A1023 Brook Street between the Brook Street roundabout and the start/end of the existing 30mph speed limit near the Nag's Head Lane/Wigley Bush Lane junction. This is currently a national speed limit section but will be reduced to 40mph. This will create a more gradual reduction in the speed of vehicles on the approach into Brentwood and, again, help to create a more pedestrian and cyclist friendly environment. A Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) will be required to implement the proposed change in speed limit and there will be an additional opportunity to comment on that element of the scheme as part of that process.

Design drawing showing proposed new 40mph speed limit along a section of the A1023 Brook Street


New parking restrictions

We are proposing to introduce loading restrictions in front of the Shell service station, off the A1023, to prevent any parking and waiting in the area. In addition, we are planning to introduce new double yellow lines along both sides of the road at the entrance to Vicarage Close to avoid drivers parking close to the junction. Finally, we propose to introduce new double yellow lines along both sides of the A1023 Brook Street/London Road from the proposed toucan crossing near the junction with Vicarage Close to Westwood Avenue, to prevent drivers from parking along the route and restricting use of the shared-use path or forward visibility, and make the road safer for all users. Traffic Regulation Orders (TROs) will be required to implement the proposed loading and parking restrictions, and there will be an additional opportunity to comment on these elements of the scheme as part of that process.


Bus stops

All of the existing bus stops along the proposed route will be retained. As requested by Transport for London, which operates the bus services currently using this route, we had proposed to change the westbound bus stop near the Mascalls Lane junction from a bus layby to an in-line (within the main carriageway) bus stop. To achieve this safely, we proposed to move the bus stop approximately 30m to the west (away from the Mascalls Lane junction). Following concerns raised during the public consultation, we are currently reviewing this element of our design.



Contact us

If you have any questions or comments about the A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme or our public consultation, please email us at: activetravel@essexhighways.org

Before you email, you may also wish to check the Questions and Answers section on this page.

  • CLOSED: This consultation survey has now closed.

    A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme - Public consultation survey


    How we use your data


    This survey is for you to provide information to be used by the A1023 Brentwood Walking and Cycling Scheme project team. Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) we have a legal duty to protect any information we collect from you. The information will only be used for the purposes of this project and will not be kept longer than is necessary to do so, up to a maximum of five years. We share this information with our partners, Jacobs and Ringway Jacobs, but we will not share your personal details with any other agency unless we have concerns that you or another individual may be at risk of harm or if it is required by law. We do not collect personal information for commercial purposes.

    If you would like to find out more about how Essex County Council uses personal data, please go to www.essex.gov.uk/privacy or call 03457 430 430. Essex County Council has a Data Protection Officer who makes sure we respect your rights and follow the law. If you have any concerns or questions about how we look after your personal information, please contact the Data Protection Officer at DPO@essex.gov.uk or by calling 03457 430 430 and asking to speak to the Data Protection Officer.

Page last updated: 10 Feb 2026, 09:33 AM