Have Your Say on Warwickshire Cycle Bridge

A three day consultation gets underway on Thursday this week to give local people the chance to have a say on a key part of a major project to create a cycleway across Kenilworth and towards Coventry.

A major stepping stone in the Connect2 scheme is to install a cycle and pedestrian bridge over the A429 Coventry Road, Kenilworth, in the location of the old railway bridge, removed 40 years ago.

Warwickshire County Council's Countryside team have been working closely with the county's Design Services and
Connect2 Steering Group to come up with some bridge designs.

Each option includes an ‘upstand' on the parapet to ensure that the crossing is also ‘wildlife friendly' as the new bridge will reconnect the wildlife corridor along the former railway.

Countryside Recreation Manager with the county council, Stuart Ikeringill, said: "The purpose of the consultation is to seek views on the designs prior to applying for planning consent. There are drawings and a photo montage of an artist's impression of the three bridges, along with feedback forms."

The public exhibition gets underway on Thursday at Kenilworth Library from 12pm until 7pm Thursday; 12pm until 5pm Friday; and 9am until 1pm Saturday. Members of the Connect2 Steering Group and bridge engineers will be present.

Images and information are also available at www.connect2kenilworth.org.uk

The deadline for completed feedback forms is Friday, October 16.

The Chair of the local Connect2 Steering Group, Warwickshire County Councillor John Whitehouse (Kenilworth
Abbey) said:

"Residents will be able to study the three bridge options via detailed design drawings, and also look at photographic representations of each option from various different viewpoints, to get a good impression of what each one would look like in the context of the vicinity of the site. There will also be photographs showing the different colour options under consideration. County staff and Connect2 Kenilworth Steering Group members will be on hand to answer questions.

"The exhibition is one part of an informal consultation process being carried out between now and mid-October, to gather the views and preferences of consultees before the Steering Group selects the chosen design option to be taken forward into the formal planning process."