Bridgend Council has announced a number of walking and cycling schemes to be taken forward after being awarded £1.7million by the Welsh Government.
The schemes that have been selected to go forward include:
- Completing the walking and cycling route between Coychurch and Pencoed Comprehensive (£500,000; completed by March 2019).
- A new walking and cycling route along the Eastern Promenade in Porthcawl and through to Newton Primary School along New Road (£450,000; completed by March/April 2019).
- Linking Picton Close/Picton Gardens to Brynteg Comprehensive (£290,000; already partly under construction with the whole scheme due to be completed by March 2019).
- Upgrading links between Bridgend Bus Station and Derwen Road so it can be used by both cyclists and pedestrians (£150,000; completed by March 2019).
Any money left over will be used to undertake feasibility studies and design work on a number of medium to longer-term active travel projects, including:
- Bridgend College to Bridgend Retail Park and Bridgend Industrial Estate (along Cowbridge Road).
- An off-road cycling and pedestrian route between The Pines and Bridgend town centre, including links to Brackla, Litchard, Parc Derwen and the Princess of Wales Hospital.
- Llangynwyd to Maesteg Comprehensive via Garth.
- Pencoed railway station to Pencoed Technology Park.
- Further improvements within Newton village, including links to Porthcawl town centre.
- An extension of the path alongside the A48 from Broadlands to Merthyr Mawr Road, connecting with Newbridge Fields and Brynteg Comprehensive.
- An assessment of further upgrades to the Ogmore Valley community route.
There was also a post on Twitter from BCBC mentioning “more direct links between Brackla and Bridgend railway station“, but it’s unclear what precisely was meant by that as there was seemingly no mention in the list of projects or feasibility studies.
Commenting on the projects, Cabinet Member for Communities, Cllr. Richard Young (Lab, Pendre) said:
“The four schemes that we have received funding to create were all well supported by local residents who took part in our public consultation last year, while we’re excited to start design work on a further eight schemes which residents have told us would make Active Travel a more practical option.
“Active Travel improvements take time, energy and money, but we’re proud that an extensive network of safe cycling and walking routes are coming together in Bridgend County Borough.
