Improvements made around Cotswold Water Park to support walking and cycling in the area
Cotswold District Council have been working with Cotswold Lakes Trust to make improvements around Cotswold Water Park that will make it easier for people to walk and cycle around the area including new cycle parking, new cycle paths, new waymarked walking routes and signage for visitors.
Cllr Juliet Layton, Cabinet Member for Development Management and Licensing, said: “I am pleased to say we have been able to carry out this work as part of our ongoing collaboration with the Cotswold Lakes Trust, local communities and local businesses to improve the Water Park and make it a more accessible and better destination for local people and visitors.
“By upgrading the cycling and walking infrastructure we hope it will encourage more people to make use of this fantastic area and do so in a way that is sustainable for the local environment. Many people already walk and cycle round the Water Park and we hope these improvements will make that experience safer and even more enjoyable.
“We will be continuing to work with partners across the Water Park to improve this unique Cotswolds gem for locals and visitors alike. We want to build healthy and active communities, and we hope these improvements to the Water Park will help facilitate this.”
Over the last 6 months, work has been carried out around the Water Park to improve sustainable transport and access infrastructure. New cycle parking has been installed at 6 locations in the Water Park (Bridge Car Park, Lakeside Car Park, Clayhill Car Park, Keynes Country Park, Neigh Bridge Country Park, Waterhay Car Park). LifeCycle UK have worked with the Council and Cotswold Lakes Trust to install the cycle stands, so visitors and local residents have somewhere secure to leave their bikes when visiting the Water Park, reducing the need to drive and helping to tackle the climate emergency.
There is also a new section of cycle path linking NCN45 (Railway Path) with Cerney Wick bridge. A large section of the railway path has been resurfaced and undergone vegetation clearance to make it more accessible for those using bicycles, wheelchairs and mobility scooters.
New wayfinding and welcome boards will be installed at 5 of the key destinations to guide visitors to new and interesting places that can be reached on foot or bicycle. Two new waymarked walking routes are also being introduced around Neigh Bridge making it easier for visitors to go for a walk without having to plan a route in advance. These should all be finalised by the end of April.
These improvements have been enabled by Cotswold District Council allocating funds as part of the Covid outbreak management fund (COMF).
Cotswold District Council will be installing more cycle parking around the Water Park in June. If you would like to suggest a location that needs new cycle stands, please email localplan@cotswold.gov.uk
For more information about Cotswold Water Park visit the Cotswold Lakes Trust website at https://cotswoldlakestrust.org/