Countywide Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP)

We want to know your views on the draft Devon Countywide Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP).

The consultation will run from Tuesday 1 October 2024 to Saturday 30 November 2024.

Please read the information provided below to find out more about the Countywide LCWIP. For more information please refer to the full draft document, which can be found here. Alternatively, there is a fully accessible version of the document here. A summary of the routes, as shown below, is also here.

To give your views on the proposals, please fill out the questionnaire – this will provide the project team with direct feedback.

If you would like to receive any of the below information in paper form, please get in touch or visit your local library where materials will be on display.

One of the routes detailed below – the Boniface Trail – is currently being engaged on separately, to understand the preferred route alignment. More information for this can be found here.

Background

The requirement for Local Authorities to produce LCWIPs is set out in the Government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. Developing an LCWIP follows a consistent process to identify cycling and walking improvements required at a local level. It also strengthens Devon County Council’s bid for future funding and ensure improvements can be incorporated into future development plans.

Devon County Council has three existing LCWIPs already adopted and two more in development:

• Exeter LCWIP
• Heart of Teignbridge LCWIP
• Barnstaple with Bideford and Northam LCWIP
• Cullompton and Tiverton LCWIP (in development)
• Clyst Valley and New Communities LCWIP (in development)

The Countywide LCWIP will complement these existing LCWIPs, identifying routes between settlements. It develops upon the existing Multi-Use Trail (MUT) Strategy to identify potential high-level routes for connecting market towns and smaller communities across the county. This will help to inform active travel’s place in the emerging Devon and Torbay Local Transport Plan 4 (LTP) and will be one of the key documents feeding into its development.

The objectives of the Devon Countywide LCWIP are:

• To provide an aspirational long-term strategic network plan for walking and cycling links between Devon’s towns and communities.
• To use evidence of existing and potential future demand to plan and design interventions which will:
  • support the health and wellbeing of all users
  • improve accessibility and social sustainability
  • accommodate growth
  • deliver economic benefits
  • respond to climate change
• To design a prioritised programme of infrastructure interventions and improvements for future investment, considering existing plans, strategies, and priorities across the county.
• To make the case to Government for future funding for strategic walking and cycling infrastructure outside of urban contexts, ensuring investment is targeted where it can have the greatest impact.

The LCWIP has followed the Department for Transport’s 6 stage process:

Stage 1 – Determine the Scope

Establish the geographical context and arrangements for governing and preparing the plan.

Stage 2 – Gathering Information

Identify existing walking and cycling patterns and potential new journeys. Review existing conditions and identify barriers to walking and cycling. Review related transport and land use policies and programmes.

Stage 3 & 4 – Network planning for cycling & walking

Identify origin and destination points and cycle flows. Convert flows into a potential network of routes which complement and build upon the existing Devon MUT Strategy and determine the improvements required.

Stage 5 – Prioritising improvements

Prioritise improvements to develop a phased programme for future investment

Stage 6 – Integration and application

Integrate outputs into local planning and transport policies, strategies, and delivery plans.

A link to the full Department for Transport guidance is available here.

The Countywide LCWIP has been developed in accordance with this guidance using a bespoke Geographic Information System (GIS) computer model.

Proposed Routes

Following the identification of key desire lines, 10 routes for improvement are proposed as part of the LCWIP. This aims to focus investment on corridors identified as having high demand or are forecasted to have high potential for active travel. The LCWIP does not include detailed plans for every route or identify every aspiration for active travel improvements across the county. The routes are set out in an east-to-west order, relative to their geography.

Below is an overview for each of the 10 routes. For more information on each, including the case for investment and opportunity, route alignment options and challenges, please see the full draft LCWIP document.

• Route 1: Tarka Trail (Knowle to Willingcott)

  

  The Tarka Trail, an existing multi-use trail between Ilfracombe and Braunton, is highly valued locally as a safe walking route to school and work and connects rural and isolated households with leisure and shopping amenities. It also encourages inclusive connection with the North Devon UNESCO biosphere.

  This route is an opportunity to provide the missing link of the Tarka Trail with a 7km stetch between Willingcott Hill Road, Woolacombe and Knowle. The route would be mostly off-road and segregated from traffic (apart from a small length on Nethercott Road where the alternative route options are limited).

  There is no current infrastructure for people walking, wheeling and cycling along the route hence this will increase opportunities to commute actively and promote a safe leisure cycling route for locals and tourists.

  This route is split into six phases. Phases 1 and 2 were completed in July 2024 and Phase 5 was completed in March 2024. Devon County Council aims to construct the remaining portions of the route as soon as practically possible but this will be dependent on external grant funding.

  Full details of this route can be found on pages 8 and 9 of the full draft LCWIP document.

• Route 2: Ruby Way (Holsworthy to Hatherleigh)

  

  Ruby Way is a proposed recreational multiuse trail stretching 40km from Bude (Cornwall) to Hatherleigh, passing through both Torridge and West Devon. At the eastern end, this would link into the Tarka Trail, towards Bideford, and the Pegasus Way, towards Okehampton. The section of the Ruby Way proposed within this LCWIP is the section between Holsworthy and Hatherleigh. Between these two settlements there is an existing cycle route – NCN3 and NCN27 – along quiet roads, but the completion of the Ruby Way would provide a mostly off-road alternative.

  The proposed route looks to take advantage of existing bridleways, routes, tracks and quiet roads, before rejoining NCN27 at Highampton towards Hatherleigh. The trail will be accessible for everyone, although it might have different surfaces at different sections. It will promote a safer leisure walking, wheeling and cycling route for locals and tourists and will connect rural and isolated households with leisure and shopping amenities.

  Full details of this route can be found on pages 10 and 11 of the full draft LCWIP document.

• Route 3: Clearbrook to Roborough

  

  Drake’s Trail (NCN 27) offers walking, wheeling, and cycling access from Tavistock through Yelverton to Clearbrook and onwards into eastern Plymouth. However, Drake’s Trail currently heads east at Clearbrook Leat car park and connects into Plympton in the east of Plymouth, bypassing important employment, residential and new development areas in the north of the city including Roborough, Woolwell and Derriford.

  This proposed new route begins at the Clearbrook Leat car park – where the existing Drake’s Trail (NCN27) turns and travels east to Plympton – and instead continues south for 3.5km to reach northern Plymouth.

  The existing travel network between Tavistock and Plymouth primarily consists of the A386 road corridor. This is a busy route with average daily traffic of 16,000-18,000 vehicles and this is predicted to increase due to nearby housing sites allocations. The road does not have suitable footways and is not wide enough to allow cyclists and vehicles to share road space and is not providing a safe and accessible route for people walking, wheeling and cycling.

  Full details of this route can be found on pages 12 and 13 of the full draft LCWIP document.

• Route 4: Yealmpton to Newton Ferrers

  

  The proposed 5.8km route is situated in South Hams southeast of Plymouth. It connects the villages of Yealmpton and Newton Ferrers, via rural roads along the B3186, east of the River Yealm. The two villages have steep gradients, but the route connecting them is relatively flat.

  The NCN28 cycle route starts in Yealmpton before heading east towards Salcombe to then link to Totnes. Between Yealmpton and Newton Ferrers, people cycling must use the carriageway in mixed traffic, as there is no cycle infrastructure. Providing a cycling link between the two settlements, offers an opportunity to connect Newton Ferrers to the existing wider high quality cycling network. The proposed route is situated entirely within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), where the natural beauty of the designated landscape is conserved and enhanced.

  Full details of this route can be found on pages 14 and 15 of the full draft LCWIP document.

• Route 5: Ashburton to Buckfastleigh

  

  The proposed 5.2km route, situated on the southeast edge of Dartmoor in Teignbridge, connects the towns of Ashburton and Buckfastleigh.

  The existing route between the settlements is designated as part of the NCN Route 272, which connects the towns of Bovey Tracey, Ashburton and Buckfastleigh. Route 272 forms part of a wider 140km circular cycle route around Dartmoor National Park – The Dartmoor Way – but is largely on-road which is unsuitable for families and less confident cyclists.

  Within both Ashburton and Buckfastleigh, the existing route is well-lit and overlooked by both residential properties and businesses. On exiting either town, it follows Buckfastleigh Road, parallel to the A38, along the River Ashburn Valley. Buckfastleigh Road is a national speed limit two-way mixed traffic rural road. There is an existing footway along one side of the road, but the surface is poor quality and overgrown by vegetation. This makes it difficult to navigate and may discourage people from choosing to cycle or walk and is not inclusive for people who are disabled or use mobility aids.

  This scheme proposes to develop and upgrade the section of the NCN272 between Ashburton and Buckfastleigh. For example, upgrading the section of the route along Buckfastleigh Road, with a parallel and off-road shared use path would create a coherent, high-quality link between the towns that is suitable for all. The majority of this route can be classified as mostly flat. Whilst there are hills to be climbed and descended, the gradients are not exceptionally steep.

  Within the two towns, there will be a range of desire lines depending on the exact origins and destinations. As such, the route shown links the two town centres, from which onward connections are possible on the relatively low traffic residential streets.

  Full details of this route can be found on pages 16 and 17 of the full draft LCWIP document.

• Route 6: Boniface Trail

  

  There has been a long-term aspiration to provide an active travel route between Crediton and Exeter, known as the Boniface Trail. This route has been previously looked at by Sustrans and the local Boniface Trail Association. For journeys between the two settlements, there is high demand for sustainable travel, as shown by the number of people using the train which is at capacity in peak periods.

  While the distance between Exeter and Crediton is almost 13km, there is no footway to provide a safe walking, wheeling or cycling link between them. The most direct route is along the A377, but this is one of the main road links to northern Devon and, as such, has a high volume of traffic, including a high number of HGVs, passing along it.

  Full details of this route can be found on pages 18 and 19 of the full draft LCWIP document.

  The Boniface Trail is currently being engaged on to understand the preferred alignment of the two options shown on the above map. Details of this, and ways to feedback, can be found here.

• Route 7: Teign Estuary Trail

  

  The Teign Estuary Trail between Newton Abbot and Dawlish is a key missing link in NCN 2 and Devon’s strategic active travel network.

  A section of the Teign Estuary Trail, from Newton Abbot Racecourse to Passage House Inn, was opened in April 2018. The remainder of the route, from Passage House Inn to Dawlish is split into two sections:

  Passage House Inn to Bishopsteignton and Teignmouth

  The route would be approximately 5km in length from the end of the existing section at Passage House Inn onward to Bishopsteignton and Teignmouth. The western portion of this section would, in most part, hug the estuary but east of Bishopsteignton a route primarily on the northern side of the A381 has been identified which will help achieve desired path widths and estuary views.

  Teignmouth to Dawlish

  A route between Teignmouth and Holcombe has been identified, beginning in Teignmouth town centre along shared use paths. This would then connect into Dawlish again via shared use paths parallel to the A379, which would be open to cyclists and pedestrians. In addition, there is an existing pedestrian route along the coast.

  In the Teignmouth and Dawlish urban areas a light touch approach would be taken; pedestrians would use existing facilities while cyclists would remain on the highway or be routed through quieter, residential routes.

  Full details of this route can be found on pages 20 and 21 of the full draft LCWIP document.

• Route 8: Otter Trail

  

  The route would run from Feniton in the north, where a mainline railway station links the area to Exeter and London, to Sidmouth and NCN2 in the south. Along the proposed route are the communities of Ottery St Mary and Tipton St John.

  The route roughly follows the disused railway line throughout, but due to varying states of the railway, there are sections where alternative alignments are considered. At this stage of the process the route is a concept to link up settlements. The detail of exactly where the route should go remains flexible.

  The terrain of the route is hilly in most of the sections. The sections passing through the towns of Feniton, West Hill, Ottery St Mary, Sidford and Newton Poppleford is close to residential areas and the other sections are mostly agriculture land.

  Concepts around this route have been in the public domain since approximately 2000, and have included various feasibility studies, appraisal papers and campaign groups. A feasibility study for the complete route was developed and published by Sustrans in April 2014.

  Full details of this route can be found on pages 22 and 23 of the full draft LCWIP document.

• Route 9: Sidbury to Sidford

  

  Sidbury is situated 1km to the north of Sidford, connected by the A375. Despite the short distance between the settlements, opportunities for those walking, wheeling and cycling are very limited. The A375 is not suitable for people to travel actively, regardless of ability and confidence level, and there is no dedicated active travel infrastructure.

  The total length of the route is 2.5km, primarily, through agricultural fields and residential settlements in Sidbury and Sidford. It starts at Two Bridges Road near Brook Close, Sidford, passing through Hillside and Furzehill before entering Sidbury and ending at Fore Street.

  The route will deliver a long-standing ambition to connect Sidbury and Sidford via an active travel route, enabling sustainable journeys and access to the natural environment between the settlements and onwards towards Sidmouth, and the seafront leisure opportunities.

  Full details of this route can be found on pages 24 and 25 of the full draft LCWIP document.

• Route 10: Beer to Axminster and Uplyme

  

  The proposed 23km route in East Devon connects Beer to Uplyme via Seaton, Colyford, Colyton and Axminster.

  The corridor broadly follows NCN Route 2 between Beer and Axminster, shown in blue in Figure 16, connecting key towns and popular tourist destinations. From Axminster the route heads south to Uplyme on the Devon-Dorset border, enhancing connectivity for both residents and visitors.

  The hilly topography between Beer and Seaton will be challenging to overcome and careful consideration will need to be given to increasing the width of any cycling provision.

  Delivery of improvements to sections of the route between Seaton and Colyford have recently opened. The proposed route will deliver a 3km sustainable travel link between Colyford and Seaton, complementing the in-progress construction of sections of the NCN. This then continues to Axminster via on-road sections of the NCN.

  There are no existing cycle routes between Axminster and Uplyme. The proposed route provides an opportunity to form part of the NCN, linking Uplyme with the wider network, with potential for future connections across the County border into Lyme Regis.

  Along the length of the corridor, potential improvements would see quick wins such as improved wayfinding and advisory cycle routes alongside more ambitious long-term improvements such as the creation of an off-road cycleway. Overall, the aim is to make the route attractive for year-round usage by removing some of the existing barriers on the route.

  Full details of this route can be found on pages 26 and 27 of the full draft LCWIP document.

Scheme Prioritisation

Funding for active travel schemes and infrastructure is typically awarded from the Government and in many cases, it requires Local Authorities to bid for this funding. Therefore, it is important that a set of schemes are identified ahead of the bidding process.

Stage 5 of the LCWIP process involves prioritising the routes developed in previous stages and collating a delivery plan. This can be used later to target funding bid to schemes higher in the delivery plan.

While the prioritisation exercise focuses on entire routes, it is important to note that this is flexible and should be adapted, for example if funding becomes available but is only sufficient to deliver sections of routes. Equally, funding may become available which is only suitable for particular routes, or may be as a result of developer funding. In these cases, lower priority schemes may be delivered if they are more appropriate.

The 10 routes identified in this LCWIP have been scored against several criteria, which are detailed in the full document on page 28, resulting in the routes being prioritised as follows:

Short Term

• Route 9: Sidbury to Sidford

 

Medium Term

• Route 3: Clearbrook to Roborough
• Route 7: Teign Estuary Trail
• Route 1: Tark Trail (Knowle to Willingcott)

 

Longer Terms

• Route 5: Ashburton to Buckfastleigh
• Route 2: Ruby Way (Holsworthy to Hatherleigh)
• Route 8: Otter Trail
• Route 4: Yealmpton to Newton Ferrers
• Route 6: Boniface Trail
• Route 10: Beer to Axminster and Uplyme

 

When taking this priority order through to scheme delivery there is a need for a flexible approach, adapting to changing circumstances and opportunities.

Have your Say

There are several ways to provide feedback on the draft LCWIP.

• Complete the online feedback form. Paper copies are available upon request.

 

• Give feedback directly to a member of our project team by contacting us:
  • in writing to Transport Planning, Room 120, County Hall, Topsham, Exeter, EX2 4QD
  • by email to transportplanning@devon.gov.uk

 

• Attend our stakeholder engagement webinar. On Wednesday 30 October, we will be running an engagement webinar at 15:30. A short presentation will be given, followed by a question and answer session to give you the chance to speak directly to our project team. To sign up to this, click here.

 

• Attend our public engagement webinar. On Wednesday 30 October, we will be running an engagement webinar at 18:00. A short presentation will be given, followed by a question and answer session to give you the chance to speak directly to our project team. To sign up to this, click here.

 

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