Aviva Community Fund has provided £946 of match funding
Somerset Rail to Trail Project
Bridgwater, England, United Kingdom
Aim
To transform the disused Somerset & Dorset railway line into a safe off-road link for pedestrians, disabled users, cyclists and equestrians.
What we are doing and why we are doing it:
Do you live in Somerset? Would you like to switch from using your car to walking/ cycling/ horse riding especially for short journeys? Whilst there are certainly some folk who are brave enough to get out there, currently most people feel that it's just not safe to do so.
Rural Somerset lanes are very pretty but often narrow with little visibility. Pavements are rare and public transport is minimal. There is a huge rights of way network in Somerset but most of it is only accessible on foot and even then, only if you are steady on your feet!
We'd like to transform the disused trackbed of the old Somerset & Dorset line into a level multi-user trailway that is accessible to everyone and safe to use. This will empower our eldely and disabled residents to be more independent and to connect with nature and local amenities without relying on their cars or someone else to drive them. Parents with pushchairs and young children will really benefit too! Making infrastructure that is suitable for the most vulnerable in our communities will mean that it is suitable for everyone.
The more that people feel comfortable to use their cars less, the better chance we have of reaching our zero emissions targets and mitigating climate change. Clean air also means better health. Reducing air pollution will cut down premature deaths and diseases from stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and both chronic and acute respiratory diseases, including asthma. Did you know that Covid 19 droplets attach to particles in the air and travel further? In clean air, these droplets simply fall to the ground - another reason that we need this now more than ever.
Who we are:
We are all local volunteers who are passionate about our community and the environment in which we live. None of us are getting paid to do this and all your contributions go towards the necessary costs to make this intiative a reality. Our small team of recruits, pictured above complete with lockdown haircuts, have been working on this almost full time and although we have made significant progress since we started in 2019, we still have a long way to go before we can even put a single shovel in the ground.
Meeting and negotiating with a whole host of landowners, liaising with local authorities, environmental agencies, and community groups, putting together feasibility studies and collating data are just a few of the jobs that we need to do before we can even get planning permission.
How your contributions will help to make a difference:
Your contributions will really speed up the process. Topographical surveys, environmental impact assesments and flood risk assesments are just some of the very important parts of a feasibility study - jobs like this have to be paid for and sadly don't come cheap. In order to get local councils, police road safety groups and planning authorities on board, we need to show that we have got all our ducks in a row.
It's an ambitious project and we're already investigating a whopping 60kms of route! Our aim is to one day have a coast to coast trailway that connects the south of Dorset to the north of Somerset, linking up the bits of trail that already exist. Have a look at this map: RED is existing trailway and BLUE shows the sections that we need your help to make a reality.
Once we have planning permission, we then have to raise the money for the surfacing, fencing and anything else that's required to actually install the route. Luckily we can halve the cost of a commercial installation by recruiting more volunteers - please keep an eye on our website and social media (links below) for when we get to that stage! We'd love your help on the ground too.
Website Facebook Instagram Twitter
Our hoped for outcomes:
If we can achieve this, communities across Somerset and Dorset will benefit through
- more opportunities for safe active travel for every day journeys
- cleaner air - better environment and reduced spread of viruses
- reduced social isolation especially for those dependent on cars
- improved physical and mental well-being
- easier connections with nature
- less road traffic accidents
- a boost to tourism and the local economy
- more business opportunities such as bike cafes or horse and rider BnBs
Anything you can give will be much appreciated. Thanks for your support.
This project successfully funded on 23rd March 2021