Ipswich Borough Council Draft Ipswich Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan

Introduction

Ipswich Borough Council are not the Local Highway Authority, this is the responsibility of Suffolk County Council. 

This Draft Ipswich Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) is created by Ipswich Borough Council to identify routes and schemes which are important to the Borough of Ipswich to assist Suffolk County Council in putting forward schemes for funding opportunities. Ipswich Borough Council will not fund schemes directly but may assist Suffolk County Council in seeking external funding opportunities to deliver the identified schemes.

LCWIPs set out measures to encourage journeys to be undertaken on foot, by cycling and by other forms of non-motorised wheeled transport.  The Department for Transport (DfT) and Active Travel England define other forms of non-motorised wheeled transport as ‘wheeling’, which refers to people who use wheelchairs, mobility scooters, pushchairs, non-motorised scooters, rollerblades and similar forms of wheeled mobility who may not identify with walking.  The Draft Ipswich LCWIP will refer to these modes of travel as ‘wheeling’ in line with the national definition.

This Draft Ipswich LCWIP has identified a vision, routes and measures across the Borough of Ipswich to encourage more people to safely walk, wheel, or cycle.  The routes and schemes are drawn from the Borough Council’s existing policies and strategies (a review was undertaken of proposed improvements for walking, cycling and wheeled transport as identified in the 2022 Ipswich Local Plan, the 2016 Cycling Strategy and 2019 Town Centre and Waterfront Public Realm Strategy). These routes and schemes have been assessed and ranked in priority order.

We have worked closely with Suffolk County Council in preparing the Draft Ipswich LCWIP. Ipswich Borough Council is not the Highway Authority and will not be delivering the schemes, as the highway function is the responsibility of Suffolk County Council. This will inform the Suffolk LCWIP that Suffolk County Council are responsible for. 

The purpose of this Draft Ipswich LCWIP is to increase the uptake in walking, wheeling and cycling. Improving the paths, roads and streets in Ipswich to encourage more walking, wheeling and cycling for everyday journeys would have the following benefits:

  • reducing congestion on the roads;
  • benefitting the local economy, such as supporting a Vibrant Town Centre; 
  • mitigating climate change;
  • improving air quality;
  • improving health and wellbeing; and
  • making more attractive and community-focused places in which to live.

What we are asking as part of this consultation

The Council is inviting the public to:

  • Provide views on the visions for walking, wheeling and cycling;
  • Tell us whether they agree with the ranking of routes and improvements identified by Ipswich Borough Council; and
  • Tell us whether they agree with the top 5 ranked routes or improvements priorities in the list.

N.B. We are not inviting suggestions for additional routes at this stage. (We will be considering new routes through the next Local Plan review.) 

Documents which form part of this consultation:

Ipswich Borough Council Draft Ipswich Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan – full report and appendices (this is the document which sets out the visions for walking, wheeling and cycling):

Prioritised list of Ipswich routes and improvements (Appendix 1 to the full Draft Ipswich LCWIP Report): 

Sustrans Methodology Report (Appendix 5 to the full Draft Ipswich LCWIP Report)  - this document explains how the assessment and ranking was carried out.

How to comment

Please submit your comments to the Council in one of the following ways, to be received by 11.45pm on 6 March 2025:

Inspection of Documents

The following documents are available for public inspection:

The documents listed above are also available for inspection at the following locations:

  • Town Hall, Cornhill, Ipswich, IP1 1DH (Mon-Sat 10am-4pm)
  • Ipswich County Library, Northgate Street, Ipswich, IP1 3DE (Mon, Wed, Thurs 9am-6pm; Tues, Fri 9am-7pm; Sat 8:30am-5pm; Sun 10am-4pm)
  • Grafton House Reception, 15-17 Russell Road, Ipswich, IP1 2DE (Mon-Fri 9am-5pm) – by appointment only.*

*To view the documents at the Council’s Offices, Grafton House, please call 01473 432019 or email: planningpolicy@ipswich.gov.uk to arrange viewing.

How we use your personal information

For more information about how your personal data is used, please visit Ipswich Borough Council’s privacy page.
 

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