The route is approximately 4km in length and starts on New Street and finishes at New Nabbotts Way where it meets the A130 White Hart Lane roundabout at Beaulieu Park, passing through Anglia Ruskin University and the Chelmer Valley Nature Reserve.

Proposed route: City centre to White Hart Lane roundabout, Beaulieu Park.

In autumn 2023, we held a number of different engagement activities including an online survey, an in-person event and sent all residents living within 300m of the proposed route a letter setting out the proposed plans and asking for their feedback.

We received lots of feedback from you. The following lists the key issues you felt strongly about and how we're responding to them.

You told us that you think the route should continue into Beaulieu Park or to the new Beaulieu Park railway station rather than ending at New Nabbotts Way. You also felt that the route should pass along Waveney Drive rather than Meon Drive.

Our response: there are a number of existing cycle routes in the Beaulieu Park development as well as a number of new routes being considered by the developer. We will look at how our route might be able to join up with these.

We welcome the suggestion about Waveney Drive. We’ll consider this further and investigate whether taking the route along it will meet current cycle design standards and still meet the objectives of this route. We’ll keep you updated on this.

You told us that you feel that Lawn Lane is too narrow to accommodate the new two-way cycle lane on the west side. You also asked how cyclists would be able to cross Lawn Lane into Downsway.

Our response: the proposed segregated* cycle path would be built along the verge, so we wouldn’t need to reduce the width of Lawn Lane itself.

A toucan crossing** is being proposed to allow cyclists to cross Lawn Lane safely into Downsway.

* A segregated cycleway and footway separate the path from the road providing a lane solely for use by cyclists and pedestrians. These can be segregated using raised kerbs, bollards or road markings.

**A toucan crossing is a signalised crossing enabling both pedestrians and cyclists to cross.

You told us that you’re concerned about Downsway, Leybourne Drive and Mayne Crest having a new cycle path and that this could impact on access to driveways.

Our response:

On this section of the proposed route, cyclists would use the road as they do now - there wouldn’t be a new separate/segregated cycle path. The only change would be new road markings.

We are proposing to convert the existing footway between Mayne Crest and Pump Lane to a shared cyclepath and footpath. We aren’t planning to introduce any parking restrictions along Downsway, Leybourne Drive or Mayne Crest other than to ensure the short section between Mayne Crest and Pump Lane is kept clear of vehicles.

You told us that you’re concerned about plans for a new floating bus stop on Bishop Hall Lane and/or a Dutch-style roundabout on the junction of New Street and Rectory Lane, especially around safety issues.

Our response: a floating bus stop involves a cycle path running behind the passenger boarding area at a bus stop, between an island and the pavement. The bus shelter and passenger waiting area would be on the island. This ensures passengers alight from a bus directly onto a bus stop island and never directly onto a cycle path or road with oncoming traffic.

A Dutch-style roundabout gives cyclists and pedestrians priority over drivers. It features a cycle lane going all the way around and motorists need to give way if a cyclist is using it. This is being proposed rather than installing signalised crossings as these could affect the flow of traffic, causing delays for all road users.

We want you to have more options when it comes to travelling around Chelmsford, especially for shorter journeys. That’s why we’re being innovative with our designs for the route. We have also identified different zones where we will prioritise different modes of transport, while still supporting all modes where possible, as set out in our Chelmsford Future Transport Strategy.

Both Bishops Hall Lane and the New Street / Rectory Lane junction fall within the central zone where we want to prioritise and encourage walking and cycling.

From a safety point of view, this benefits cyclists as they don’t have to mix with large buses. It also means that journey times are reduced as the bus doesn’t have to wait for a break in the traffic to pull back onto the carriageway. Pedestrian safety is always of paramount importance to us and we will ensure that the detailed plans reflect this.

All our final designs will be independently assessed for road safety before any construction starts, and then again once the construction is complete.

You told us that safety along the route is a priority and that lighting is required in the Bunny Walks area in particular.

Our response: safety is a key priority for us and we're considering how lighting can be installed or improved wherever necessary along the length of the route. Regarding lighting along Bunny Walks, Chelmsford City Council recently renewed all the lighting and CCTV under the “safer Streets Programme). And under the Active Travel Fund 2 works carried out in 2023, we concentrated on improving sight lines, widening the path where possible, swapping over walkers/cyclists sides of the path so that it matches what’s outside the leisure centre and renewing the top surface. We have also upgraded and widened the toucan crossing.

You told us that you think that shared cycling and walking paths are dangerous for pedestrians, disabled users and children; that cyclists travel too fast; and that signage and markings need to be clearer for all users.

Our response: the safety of all road users is of paramount importance to us. We’ll ensure that all signs and road markings stand out and are clear to make sure everyone knows that there are both cyclists and pedestrians using the path/s. Whilst we can’t do anything about the speed of cyclists, we offer a wide range of cycling training courses for both children and adults and encourage as many cyclists as possible to sign up and attend.

Passenger survey