Plans for a new pedestrian and cycle crossing on Radcliffe Road have been redesigned after objections to the proposed removal of three street trees.
Nottinghamshire County Council’s revised £930,000 scheme would retain two mature trees near the junction of Radcliffe Road, Cyril Road and Rutland Road, while one tree affected by decay would still be removed.
The changes would also result in approximately 139 metres of the existing bus lane on Radcliffe Road being removed to create more space for people waiting to cross.
The improvements are intended to provide a safer walking and cycling route between West Bridgford town centre, Lady Bay and the new pedestrian and cycle bridge across the River Trent, which opened on 2 June 2026.
A report to the council’s Cabinet Member for Transport and Environment recommended approval of the revised plans, with construction expected to begin in September and take up to 16 weeks.
The original design would have replaced the existing toucan crossing with a “sparrow” crossing, providing separate parallel sections for pedestrians and cyclists. It also included a new segregated cycleway towards Cyril Road.
However, the design would have required two mature trees in fair condition and one early mature tree in poor condition to be felled.
A consultation on the proposed tree removals, held between 7 November and 5 December 2025, received 50 objections and two responses in support.
Objectors raised concerns about the environmental and visual effects of losing established trees, questioned whether the crossing needed to be widened and said alternative designs should be considered. Some also argued that the short section of segregated cycleway would not connect consistently with other cycling provision in the area.
The council said the two trees south of the proposed crossing would either have obstructed the segregated route or created problems because of their roots. It said installing signal equipment on the northern side without damaging the roots of another mature tree would also have been impossible.
However, officers subsequently redesigned the scheme to avoid removing the two mature trees.
Instead of a segregated sparrow crossing, the existing crossing would be replaced with a modern shared-use toucan crossing for pedestrians and cyclists. The footway linking Radcliffe Road with Cyril Road would also be widened for shared use.
Bollards would be installed on either side of the Cyril Road footway to improve visibility at what the report describes as a blind spot for people entering and leaving the route.
The revised crossing cannot be aligned directly with the approaches on both sides of Radcliffe Road because this would still require the removal of the large mature tree on the northern side. Officers considered a diagonal crossing but rejected it on road safety grounds.
A section of the footway on the southern side of Radcliffe Road would instead be built out to provide more waiting space. The report says this would also avoid the need to move an existing gas main which would otherwise prevent the installation of the new traffic signals.
To accommodate the widened footway, approximately 139 metres of the Radcliffe Road bus lane would be removed. No-loading-at-any-time restrictions, marked by double kerb lines, would also be introduced near the crossing.
The council said the restrictions are required under national crossing design standards and would not prevent residents receiving deliveries, although drivers may have to park a safe distance away and walk to the property.
The central refuge on Radcliffe Road would be removed because the revised layout shortens the crossing distance. New signals would include pedestrian detection, allowing the green crossing period to remain in operation for as long as needed by pedestrians, cyclists, wheelchair users and people using mobility scooters.
The scheme also includes a raised plateau at the Rutland Road and Gertrude Road junction, resurfacing of the footway towards Rutland Road and Gertrude Road, new road markings and anti-skid surfacing.
No objections were received to the raised plateau during a separate consultation. Three responses were submitted to the associated draft Traffic Regulation Order, including concerns about bus timetables, deliveries and the absence of wider cycle lanes through Lady Bay.
The council said no changes to traffic signal timings are planned, meaning the scheme is not expected to affect bus timetables. It also confirmed there are currently no plans for additional cycle lanes because these fall outside the scope of the project.
The remaining tree due to be removed is an early mature hawthorn which a recent inspection found was showing signs of basal decay and was unlikely to survive. Two semi-mature replacement trees would be planted at locations agreed with Rushcliffe Borough Council’s senior tree officer.
The crossing is one of three proposed upgrades in Lady Bay and West Bridgford linked to the new bridge. Improvements at specified junctions were made a condition of the bridge’s planning permission because of the additional numbers of pedestrians and cyclists expected to use the route.
Nottingham and Derby city councils secured £161 million from the Government’s Transforming Cities Fund in March 2020. Nottingham City Council subsequently allocated £3.25 million to Nottinghamshire County Council for walking and cycling improvements between the bridge and West Bridgford town centre.
The funding cannot be transferred to general road maintenance or unrelated projects. Any money not used would have to be returned to Nottingham City Council.
The revised Radcliffe Road scheme is estimated to cost £930,000. The report says there would be no cost to Nottinghamshire County Council because the work would be paid for entirely from the Transforming Cities Fund allocation.
Subject to approval, Via East Midlands would carry out the work. Temporary traffic lights and lane and footway closures may be required during construction, but two-way traffic would be maintained on Radcliffe Road throughout.
