Agenda item

Report of the Director of Regeneration and Economy

The Cabinet Member for City Services approved the delivery of a Red Route and Cycleway in the city centre on 28 February 2024, which included designation of sections of Cycleway in the City Centre as part of both those schemes. 

At the time of making this decision, the full design of the City Centre Cycleway was not fully known due to the ongoing Coventry Very Light Rail project being developed at the same time.  As such, only part of the City Centre Cycleway was included in that decision of 28 February 2024, namely the section north of the Coventry Very Light Rail live on-road trial area. The extents of the City Centre Cycleway covered by that previous decision are Queen Victoria Road, Corporation Street, Upper Well Street and Hales Street.

Following successful delivery and operation of the Coventry Very Light Rail trial earlier this year, design work on the remaining section of the City Centre Cycleway was progressed in parallel with work to reinstate the road environment where the on-road trial took place.

This report now presents the remaining area of footways where cycleway designation is likely to be required to deliver a joined-up, continuous cycle route between Pool Meadow Bus Station and Coventry Railway Station.  The scope of this report also extends south to the junction of Warwick Road and Spencer Road, following the Council’s receipt of Section 106 funds to deliver cycle infrastructure improvements tied to the VITA Students development on Warwick Road.  Consultation and feedback were already considered in the report of 28 February 2024 or as part of the planning process for the student housing.

Councillor S Gray welcomed the increase in the city’s cycling network.

Officers responded to Councillor Gray’s queries, advising the overall scheme ran from Pool Meadow down through Corporation Street and up to Spencer Road, ultimately joining together the Sustrans route through Earlsdon, Spon End, Hill Street, the Coundon Cycleway and through to Upper Well Street.

The Cabinet Member for City Services welcomed the proposals which were safer for cyclists, pedestrians and the environment.

RESOLVED that the Cabinet Member for City Services:

1)  Approves the removal of footways and construction of new footways and cycle tracks on Queen Victoria Road, Greyfriars Road, Warwick Row, Warwick Road, Manor House Drive, Ringway St Patricks, Eaton Road, Friargate Boulevard, Westminster Road, Central Six Retail Park Access Road, Michaelmas Road and Spencer Road, under Sections 65 and 66 of the Highways Act 1980 which for the purposes of identification are shown in Appendix B attached to the report.

2)  Approves the designation of cycle track along Freemens Way, Greyfriars Green and the footpath between Manor House Drive and Warwick Road under Section 3 of the Cycle Tracks Act 1984 which for the purposes of identification are shown in Appendix B attached to the report.

3)  Approves the addition of £1,502,310 to the five-year capital programme following confirmation of the ATF4 change request and confirmation of the Active Travel Integrated Settlement.

4)  Approves the reallocation of £2,197,690 of funding previously outlined in the Highways Capital Programme as approved by Cabinet on 18 March 2025.