Have your say on better travel in the Kettering area

11 November 2021

People are being asked for their views on how North Northamptonshire Council can help them improve the way they travel around the Kettering area.

The council is specifically looking at improving walking and cycling routes to make it safer, easier and more appealing for more people to walk, use wheelchairs and pushchairs, cycle or scoot, especially for short trips.

This will help reduce congestion, address the climate emergency and create many other benefits, such as reducing air pollution.

The council will use this information to create a Local Cycle Walking Infrastructure Plan (LCWIP), which can then be used by the authority to submit bids to Government for funding to create the infrastructure.

Research shows that the majority of car journeys are under two miles, so if we can enable people to swap their mode of travel over these short trips we will be making a big difference.

We want to make it easier for people to walk, cycle, scoot and use wheelchairs and pushchairs and that’s why we’re asking them for their views on what problems they’re encountering and what they’d like to see.Cllr Graham Lawman, the council’s executive member for Highways, Travel and Assets

Protecting the environment and moving towards net zero is a key priority for the council, so I’d encourage everyone to have their say so they can help shape the future of travel in the Kettering area.Cllr Jason Smithers, Leader of the Council

The authority is working with WSP and Brightwayz social enterprise to develop the project and have created an online ‘heatmap’ of the Kettering area where people can leave comments at specific locations: Kettering Walking & Cycling Plan | Commonplace

This consultation will last until December and will include additional surveys about specific routes which will all help shape the LCWIP.

Although this particular project is Kettering focussed, similar initiatives are being developed in other towns across the North Northants area.

The project and other work to reduce carbon emissions in North Northants will be discussed at the council’s NNClimate21 summit next week.