Spinning a greener future: BWCE supports Cycle Chippenham’s new cycle path
Earlier last year, Cycle Chippenham received £5,000 from Bath and West Community Energy (BWCE) to fund the development of a cycle path linking Fairfoot Close and Gascelyn Close in Chippenham.
BWCE volunteer Helen Turnbull spoke to Laurence Cable, Vice-Chair of Cycle Chippenham, to find out how the project had pedalled forward.
Earlier last year, Cycle Chippenham received £5,000 from Bath and West Community Energy (BWCE) to fund the development of a cycle path linking Fairfoot Close and Gascelyn Close in Chippenham. BWCE volunteer Helen Turnbull spoke to Laurence Cable, Vice-Chair of Cycle Chippenham, to find out how the project had pedalled forward.
Cycle Chippenham, founded in 2018, is a volunteer-run group that campaigns to create a safer and more inclusive cycle network across Chippenham, supporting the community to cycle shorter journeys.
In particular, the group endeavours to help children and families cycle to school, as Laurence highlighted that “evidence from elsewhere in the UK shows that when you provide safe cycle routes to schools, there can be a huge increase in the numbers of children cycling. Kesgrave High School in Suffolk is a prime example, with its 35% cycle-to-school rate, compared to around 3% at most Chippenham schools.”
The group is chaired by Dr Nick Murry, Wiltshire and Chippenham Town Councillor, and includes local volunteers with a range of expertise from transport planning to cycle infrastructure design; all driven by the goal of improving Chippenham’s cycle routes.
Map data © 2023 Google. Additional annotations by Cycle Chippenham.
On the 7th August, Cycle Chippenham opened Wiltshire’s newest cycle path between Fairfoot Close and Gascelyn Close
This new route is a two-way path forming part of a longer north-south route being developed through western Chippenham, enabling the whole community to have the choice to cycle safely between key destinations.
Councillor Kathryn Macdermid, the Mayor of Chippenham, alongside Councillor Martin Smith, Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet member for Highways, Streetscene and Flooding, opened the path.
Serving Frogwell and Queen’s Crescent schools as well as the wider community, the path is designed in line with the latest Government standards – providing a separated route for people cycling and wheeling, distinct from the nearby footpath
Cycle Chippenham received the funding from BWCE in January 2024, which ultimately covered three elements of this project
The first was a topographical survey of the terrain, to enable detailed design work to progress. The second was a legal conversion order on an existing path that would link to the new path, turning it into a cycle track to create a continuous cycle route. With a slight underspend on those two processes, the group secured approval from BWCE to use the remaining £550 towards construction costs.
The works began on site two weeks prior to the opening on the 7th August, and were supported by the Chippenham and Villages Local Highway and Footway Improvement Group (LHFIG). The LHFIG provided part-funding, plus the engineering and land ownership expertise required to finally enable the project to go ahead.
Alongside BWCE and the LHFIG, the project received funding from Chippenham Town Council and Wiltshire Wildlife Community Energy. GreenSquare Accord was also involved, working with Wiltshire Council to put in place the necessary land agreements to enable construction to take place. It was the combination of all these organisations working together that made the project possible.
At the opening, Cycle Chippenham’s Chair, Dr Nick Murry, reflected on the successful coming together of multiple funders and partners, and thanked them for their contributions in enabling the project’s delivery.
Councillor Martin Smith added:
"Paths such as this, which connect quiet residential streets, offer a cost-effective way to create safer cycling routes to schools, shops, and other key destinations. They not only improve safety but also encourage more people to choose cycling as a practical, everyday option."
Since this path has been installed, there has been plenty of use of it – and not just from people cycling! Members of the community using mobility aids have been using the path too, which is markedly smoother than the nearby footpath. This highlights how the benefits of cycle infrastructure stretch far beyond cycling.
Looking to the future, Cycle Chippenham is working on a variety of other projects around the town, to create practical, safe cycle routes. This includes the final section of the overall north-south route through this area (marked B on the map), which will enable the end-to-end route to be signed with wayfinding signage, boosting its visibility and encouraging further adoption by the community.
Cycle Chippenham hopes that the collaborative approach it pioneered to deliver this small but important scheme will be a blueprint for future projects around the town and elsewhere.