East Cambridgeshire District Council (ECDC) is committed to improving the East Cambridgeshire strategic cycle and footpath network.

Although we are not responsible for delivering cycling and walking infrastructure, the Council understands that it is essential that the appropriate infrastructure is in place to make cycling and walking an attractive and safe alternative to driving. The Council recognises the health and wellbeing and environmental benefits of cycling and walking. In 2019, the Council passed a ‘climate change motion’, which declared a climate emergency and encourages modal shift away from vehicles towards cycling and walking which will help the Council to achieve its net zero carbon ambitions. 

The District Council Corporate Plan 2021-2023 includes a promise to champion and improve the East Cambs strategic cycle and footpath network and a commitment to prioritise five cycle routes for feasibility exploration. To inform this work a public consultation was held in 2020 asking people to identify new cycling and walking routes which the Council could prioritise to complete gaps in the network, especially those that will encourage more local walking and cycling journeys to access places of education, employment, health care, public transport and essential services. A list of priority routes has been developed so that the Council has a set of schemes that are ready to submit when funding becomes available. 

Via the consultation questionnaire, the Council also asked residents where they would like to walk or cycle to but cannot because the path is in disrepair, there is street clutter obstructing the footpaths or there is insufficient street lighting, or because there is no safe crossing point in the route. Supporting infrastructure such as cycle parking, adequate signage and promotion of existing routes are also needed to encourage people to cycle and walk. 

The East Cambridgeshire Cycling and Walking Routes Strategy was adopted in November 2021.

Funding and Delivery

Delivery of the proposed cycling and walking network is reliant on the availability of external funding. 

The Council prioritised five routes and commissioned Sustrans, the charity making it easier for people to walk and cycle, to produce feasibility studies which will give the Council a better understanding of the factors that need to be considered to deliver the cycle routes and an estimate of the cost.