Nottingham City Council has completed a £5.7m project to make a busy area in Bilborough and Leen Valley safer for pedestrians and cyclists.
The council successfully bid for money from the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund to make improvements along Beechdale Road and Hollington Road. £590,000 was also contributed by Sustrans.
Work started in July 2023, and the project included:
- Creating more space for a cycle lane by removing the central reservation, allowing residents to turn left or right out of their drives where previously they could only turn one way.
- Replacing existing cycle lanes with two new segregated routes on Beechdale Road and Hollington Road.
- Improvements to junctions and pedestrian crossing facilities.
- Resurfacing roads and pavements to provide a safer, smoother surface for road users and pedestrians.
The new cycle lanes are safer for residents, businesses and schools and are better connected to the wider cycle network. The lanes link with National Cycle Route 6 along Western Boulevard and the ring road – and on to destinations such as the Queen’s Medical Centre and the University of Nottingham.
The council is now looking to secure funding to continue improvements, including a safe segregated cycle route on Wigman Road to Strelley Road, enabling safer, greener travel for those heading to Harvey Hadden and Bilborough College.
Nottingham City Council Leader and Executive Member for Strategic Regeneration, Transport and Communications, Councillor Neghat Khan, said:
“We want more people to get out of their cars and walk, scoot or cycle to where they’re going. This project is all about making it safer and easier for people to get around – and it contributes to our plan to reduce emissions from cars and be the first carbon-neutral city by 2028.
“The extended routes will play a vital role in enabling people living in and travelling through the area to travel affordably and sustainably. Around half of households in Nottingham do not have access to a car, and creating enough space for people to walk and cycle safely is vital to our sustainable transport network.”
Anugaman, 18, a student at Bilborough College, said: “I really appreciate the cycle lane built near my house. This has made my commute from home near Beechdale to Bilborough College much safer.”
Andrew, from Bilborough, said: “I have used the new cycle path. It is fantastic, well-planned and makes cycling more enjoyable and safe. I’ve seen lots of people using it. I think the traffic flows much better now the work has finished, and the narrow road makes those fast drivers slow down without having to punish everyone with those awful speed bumps.”
Clare Maltby, Sustrans Director for Midlands and East, said: “We’re delighted to see the completion of the Beechdale Road junction upgrade, having supported delivery of these improvements on the ground.
“At Sustrans, our vision is to make walking, wheeling, and cycling easier for everyone, and with this project we’ve worked with Nottingham City Council to transform a tricky crossing into a more accessible and direct route, which is much more user-friendly for those walking and cycling.
“The new crossing links smoothly with the existing segregated cycle path along Western Boulevard, creating a vital active travel route. This investment is part of our vision to improve the National Cycle Network and Nottingham’s broader Transforming Cities programme, and it will make active travel a more attractive option for local residents, whether travelling for school, training, work or leisure.”
Bilborough is also one of the areas taking part in the Travel Well pilot scheme, using funding from Active Travel England to put on free local events to help people get more active in their everyday lives. Residents of Bilborough, along with other neighbourhoods taking part, including St Ann’s, Bulwell and Strelley, can find out what’s happening near them here.
Organisations in and around Bilborough and Leen Valley also benefit from access to the Workplace Travel Service, which can help with grants towards green travel improvements at workplaces. Improvements, including secure cycle storage, pool e-bikes and EV chargers, can be paid for via this scheme, with businesses receiving up to a 75% funded grant and public sector and charity organisations receiving a 100% funded grant.
About the Transforming Cities Fund
Working in partnership, in 2020 Nottingham City and Derby City Councils secured £161 million from the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund to invest in local transport infrastructure that will improve sustainable transport, support growth and encourage more low-carbon journeys.
