The Long Wait for the Long Shoot Cycle Scheme

This content is made available free of charge and without adverts - but it needs your help to keep it that way! If you are able to help out, any donations are gratefully received! Thank you!

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com

It has been over a year since Warwickshire County Council last responded to a request for an update on the cycle scheme to run alongside the A47 Long Shoot in Nuneaton. This 1.4km scheme was originally put out to public consultation in early 2021. Since then, general updates from the local authority have been sparse and the project subject to delays – not helped by another road junction scheme that was subject to its own overruns. Now, the Council has provided further comment in response to a new request for information.

Despite the original public consultation having closed for responses in March 2021, the project remains in the preliminary design phase and no update has been forthcoming on how the plans have changed or what feedback was received in response to that consultation. However, the design itself is now at a relatively advanced stage. When asked about the current timeframes, the Council said:

“We are hoping to be in a position to advertise the various legal orders and notices required by the scheme in the spring with delivery to follow later in the year, subject to any further design work required in response to feedback and satisfactory resolution of any objections and being able to confirm road space for construction”.

Given recent inflationary pressures, the Council confirmed that while cost estimates are increasing as a result, sufficient funding remains available and the project delivery has not been affected.

Design Stages

Clarification from the Council provided more detail on the various stages that the project needs to go through, which are summarised here. Note that no estimates for timeframes have been given for these stages, but it can be seen that the project still has some way to go before construction can begin.

  • Feasibility
  • Initial designs
  • Public consultation
  • Preliminary design
  • Orders and notices
  • Feedback review and design alterations
  • Detailed design and pre-construction
  • Construction
  • Completion

About to move forward?

While it is good to hear positive news that inflation is not currently impacting on the viability of the Long Shoot cycle scheme, it does feel like development has stood still over the past twelve months – a complaint not unique to this scheme and not helped by the lack of public information. Yet, with the significant new junction development now completed and seemingly out of the way, we may be on the cusp of seeing things move forward. The intention is that the project moves to the next phase – advertising orders and notices in the Spring. This will include the proposals for a reduced speed limit, the provision of double yellow lines, and raised tables across smaller side roads for priority crossings.

However, given the unreliability of past delivery date estimates, it is perhaps wise to remain at least somewhat sceptical about actual construction commencing in 2023. The caveat given by the Council does say that further alterations to designs could still be required, If objections are made or required design changes identified then there remains the potential for yet further delay.

Updates on the Long Shoot Cycle Scheme can be found at fiets.uk/longshootcycling, including its history and a link to all related articles.

Have you found this content interesting or useful? If so, can you help support the site, podcast and active travel advocacy work? This content is made available free of charge, but if you can help out then any contribution is greatly appreciated!

Buy Me a Coffee at ko-fi.com