The East Hampshire Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) has been developed by Witteveen+Bos UK Limited on behalf of East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) in response to the Government’s Cycling and Walking Investment Plan published in 2017, which sets out the ambition 'to make walking and cycling the natural choices for shorter journeys or as part of longer journeys'.

The plan

This LCWIP will act as an evidence base for the improvement of existing, and the development of future walking and cycling networks across the district; it will also support relevant external funding bids for these infrastructure schemes.

The process of developing the LCWIP has been to examine the existing network of walking and cycling routes within the district and then to identify the required infrastructure improvements. 

This process is set out in detail within the Technical Report.

The next phase of the plan, which is under separate development, will be to strategically outline the priority infrastructure schemes within the district where the greatest impact can be achieved.

This key phase will be a ‘live’ element of the LCWIP, supported by evidence within the technical document, and which will be revised and updated when funding is secured for projects to be taken forward.

Identified schemes will be developed in collaboration with East Hampshire’s delivery partners including Hampshire County Council and the South Downs National Park Authority, along with internal teams including Planning Policy and Regeneration & Placemaking, as well as the Town and Parish Councils.

The combined documents of the LCWIP will provide a robust evidence base for future funding bids and a reference tool to inform other locally emerging policy specific to walking and cycling infrastructure.

Engagement

EHDC has been working to develop the LCWIP by engaging with our partners, stakeholders and the local community to identify the new, and improvements to the existing, walking and cycling infrastructure needed to enable more people to enjoy active travel for utility and recreational trips. 

An online public engagement survey was carried out from 10 February – 22 March 2020 to gauge the current levels of walking and cycling in the district and to identify what the barriers are to increasing those levels. 

In total 1422 questionnaires were completed showing within our community there is currently a keen interest in recreational walking and cycling.

The results also demonstrated that with a well-connected network of routes, segregated from traffic, people would also be encouraged, and feel more confident, to make regular journeys by bike or on foot, such as going to the shops or visiting friends or travelling to work.

There are separate sections of the Technical Report and Executive Summary outlining the results of this public engagement and the full report is available within the appendices.

Both documents are available here:

Getting in contact

If you would like to get in touch with the council about the Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan, please email placemaking@easthants.gov.uk.