New Somerset cycle route could cost up to £15m to deliver

A new cycle route, linking a town to two villages, will cost up to £15m.

Multi-user paths between Taunton, Bishop's Lydeard and Cotford St. Luke, were identified as new transport options in a study commissioned by Somerset County Council.

But following a consultation in December, Somerset Council said it could cost up to £15m to deliver.

A council spokesperson said they "don't currently have funding" to take the recommendations to the next stage.

"In the event we do access funding, consultation will of course be carried out, as with any project," it added.

The £50,000 study by the former Somerset County Council, which was replaced with Somerset Council in April 2023, was designed to develop detailed proposals which could be delivered by funding from the government's active travel fund, contributions from housing developers or by the council in-house.

Both Bishop's Lydeard and Cotford St. Luke lie to the north-west of Taunton on two main commuter roads, which see large volumes of traffic but have limited or irregular pavements and little cycling provision.

Bishop's Lydeard has already experienced significant housing growth, with 173 new homes on the Moorland Gate site on Taunton Road.

Cotford St. Luke will see dozens of new homes delivered in the coming years, with Lovell Homes expected to begin building 80 new homes in the spring of 2025.

Plans have also been submitted for a further 52 properties on North Villas, near Dene Barton Community Hospital.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, while the two villages both lie near the West Somerset Railway, heritage services only run between March and October.

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