Extensions complete Buckingham to Winslow cycleway

The final extension to the Buckingham to Winslow cycleway has been given the finishing touches, and is ready for residents’ rubber to hit the road.

Work on the £180,000 London Road to Buckingham schools section started in March and, ahead of final safety checks in the coming few weeks, local County Councillors Charlie Clare and Warren Whyte gave it a wheely good once-over.

The extension serves the Swan Pool Leisure Centre, the Buckingham School and the Royal Latin School, and involved widening the pavement along the Buckingham-bound side of London Road.

It joins an earlier £73,000 extension through the Badgers estate to Cornwalls Meadow, finished last September, in linking the town centre with the main cycleway from Winslow to the Buckingham ring road.

Mark Shaw, Deputy Leader and Transport Cabinet Member, said he was delighted Buckinghamshire County Council was able to provide another extension to the successful £2.3 million Buckingham to Winslow shared footway and cycleway.

“This really does open the choices for people to walk or cycle in Buckingham,” said Mark. “We’ve already seen how well-used the main section is and the two extensions will be a huge benefit for those who use the leisure centre, walk or cycle to school, and for those who want to avoid the traffic into the town centre.”

The 5.6 mile section between Winslow and the outskirts of Buckingham opened in January 2017. Last year cycle counters on the route logged more than 10,500 journeys annually through Winslow, just over 10,000 through Padbury, and almost 8,500 past Adstock.

During some summer days, more than 100 cycle journeys a day were measured at Winslow. Before the cycleway opened that figure was just 16.

The main shared footway and cycleway was paid for by a Local Growth Fund grant through the Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership, and the extension scheme was funded by Lace Hill developer contributions.