Norfolk County Council are consulting on a Walking, Wheeling and Cycling Strategy for Norfolk. The consultation ends on 24 November 2023 and the link is here if you would like to respond.
The last version of the Walking and Cycling Strategy was published in 2017 and since then, there has been a change in national and local policy which has placed walking, wheeling and cycling at the heart of decision making. The proposed new strategy brings together local transport, environmental and public health ambitions and aims to make walking, wheeling or cycling for both travel and leisure the natural choice. with half of all journeys in towns and cities being cycled or walked by 2030.
Wheeling refers to travelling using wheeled mobility aids such as wheelchairs, mobility scooters and rollators.
Letter published in EDP on 26 October 2023 re the strategy:
Dear Sir
I did think the EDP headline “New bid to push cars off the road” on Monday 23 October was rather sensationalist. Norfolk County Council should be applauded for consulting people on a strategy to look at alternative modes of transport, which will hopefully unlock government funding to improve facilities for walking, wheeling and cycling.
The strategy does provide a full explanation with reasons as to why these modes of transport would be an advantageous for residents themselves, and for the county as a whole.
This is not a plan to alarm or restrict car users, but a sensible proposition to encourage the use of healthier forms of transport to reduce road congestion, air pollution and carbon emissions.
Many residents are both car drivers and walkers, wheelers or cyclists. Better provision for the latter will increase the number of short, local journeys made using non-car modes leaving the roads less congested for those who have to use a car.
The 2030 target is certainly ambitious, but every trip made using active travel makes a difference and needs to be seen positively.
We need to invest more local government funds in active travel and public transport infrastructure, maintain our existing road infrastructure, and restrict the building of environmentally damaging road projects as the Welsh government have done.
Kind Regards
Eleanor Laming
