1st place in the Calor Rural Community Fund - £5,000 Category
Newberry Road Footpath, Georgeham
Georgeham, England, United Kingdom
Aim
To finance the construction of a new community footpath adjacent Newberry Road that will improve access and safety and encourage walking.
Newberry Road is an important route in to Georgeham from Braunton for vehicles including cars and large delivery vans.
It is also used daily by pedestrians including children of all ages
and older residents.
One particular section past the village playing field is very narrow and bounded by high banks. Pedestrians must walk in the road as there is no verge or footpath.
The project is to construct 50m of new, surfaced footpath the other side of the hedge bank along the edge of the village playing fields that will provide an alternative, safe route for pedestrians to avoid this narrow section of road.
As well as improving safety and amenity for existing pedestrians, we hope it will also encourage people to walk who currently find it too dangerous.
It will also provide a new pedestrian access in to the playing fields avoiding walking along the narrow section of road entirely. The playing fields include a play ground for younger children, basket ball and full sized football pitch so it is well used by families, young people and others (COVID-19 permitting!)
We carried out a public consultation in the autumn of 2018 and over 80% of those who responded supported the project which has since been adopted by the Parish Council.
The project will have wide community benefit but especially those using the playing field and people accessing other village amenities including the Primary School, shop, hall, bus stop and church. The path will benefit in particular families with young children, young people walking to the bus stop to go to secondary school, and older or less mobile residents accessing the village shop and other local amenities. It will contribute to the aims, objectives and policies set out in the draft Neighbourhood Plan. All the preparatory work has been done - the scheme has planning permission and the Local Highway Authority have approved the layout where it meets the road although none of the works are within the public highway. Quotes are being obtained and the project is set to proceed this autumn subject to funding.
This project successfully funded on 16th July 2020