Warwickshire County Council has approved plans for a new Toucan Crossing on Sergeant Simon Valentine Way in Bedworth. Objections were received from a member of the public and a local Borough Councillor on the grounds that the scheme was not cohesive, did not constitute a benefit to active travel in the area, and would not integrate well with future plans to connect Nuneaton and Coventry with a cycle route. The Council acknowledged these objections, but decided to proceed on the grounds that the scheme would still be a benefit to the community, and that funding for the scheme had to be used by March 2025.

Proposed Toucan Crossing on Sergeant Simon Valentine Way, Bedworth

The meeting considered a proposal for a new Toucan Crossing on Sergeant Simon Valentine Way in Bedworth. The crossing would be funded by the central government's Levelling Up Fund, and would need to be completed by March 2025.

Two objections were received to the proposal: one from a member of the public and one from Councillor Michele Kondakor of Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council.

The objections centred around the fact that the crossing, whilst linking to existing footpaths, is not currently linked to the area's cycle network.

The objectors argued that:

The scheme is not cohesive and provides no benefit to enabling active travel/cycling on its own.

The council responded by saying that cyclists could use the crossing to access High Street, from where they could continue their journeys, saying that:

Cyclists travelling north via the crossing would continue their journey along High Street on carriageway. This road is low traffic / low speed and is therefore appropriate for use by cyclists.

Councillor Kondakor also argued that the scheme conflicted with the council's wider plans for cycling infrastructure in the area, and that the crossing would be of little benefit unless it was connected to a more substantial cycle network. She showed the meeting maps of the local area to explain why she felt the scheme would not be a benefit to the community, and how it did not link up with existing or planned cycle routes.

The council acknowledged that:

there is an aspiration to provide a cycle route through the park, this is identified in the Local Cycling & Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP) as Route B04.

They went on to say that this route was currently unfunded, and that until it was funded, the crossing, though not ideal, would still provide a benefit to the community.

Councillor Matecki, in approving the scheme, acknowledged the objections of Councillor Kondakor, but pointed out that she was a Borough Councillor, and that this scheme was the responsibility of the County Council. He suggested that she lobby local decision makers to ensure that the scheme he was approving was joined up with the wider cycle network in the future.

The meeting concluded with the council voting to approve the scheme.