Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP)
What is a local cycling and walking infrastructure plan?
The Shropshire Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP or ‘Cycling and Walking Plan’ for short) is our long-term plan, aimed at dramatically improving the safety, comfort and attractiveness of walking and cycling in the county. The purpose of this plan is to set out a prioritised list of schemes for delivery over the next ten years that will improve walking and cycling infrastructure for Shropshire residents, workers and visitors alike.
The Cycling and Walking plan covers the following towns:
- Shrewsbury
- Oswestry/Gobowen
- Church Stretton
- Market Drayton
- Bridgnorth
- Ludlow
- Whitchurch
Why are we developing a cycling and walking plan for Shropshire?
In 2017 the UK government published its first Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy, which encouraged local authorities to prepare their own cycling and walking plans to enable a more strategic approach to improving conditions for cycling and walking.
We want people to feel safe to walk and cycle in Shropshire, enabling us all to be healthier, happier and to reduce the carbon we emit when we travel. By improving access to key destinations, we aim to support equal mobility for all and to enable growth for local businesses. All this is brought together in our objectives, which have focused our decisions at every stage of our cycling and walking plan:
- Zero carbon - Shropshire as a zero carbon county
- Healthier - healthier living for Shropshire residents
- Mode shift - reduced congestion and car dependency through embedding walking and cycling as the modes of choice for local and some inter-urban journeys
- Inclusive - an inclusive network which is accessible, perceived to be safe and enables opportunity for all, regardless of age or ability
- Sustainable growth - supports sustainable economic growth in Shropshire’s market towns, including the visitor economy
What’s happened so far?
During 2021 and 2022 we undertook a six-stage process through which we developed a draft cycling and walking plan for Shropshire:
1. Determine scope
2. Gather innovative evidence base
3/4. Network planning for walking and cycling
5. Prioritising infrastructure improvements
6. Integration and application