Tag: wellington

  • Standing room only at Public Meeting

    Standing room only at Public Meeting

    On 24th January 2025, the Grand Western Greenway campaign held its first public meeting in the Scout HQ in the centre of Wellington.

    Invitations were sent to all our supporters, and these were supported by a social media and physical poster campaigns across Taunton, Wellington and the surrounding communities.

    The purpose of the meeting was to present information about the various proposals, and to bring together a panel of experts, politicians and business owners.

    The meeting was opened by the MP for Wellington and Taunton, Gideon Amos who, despite being unwell, made the opening remarks.

    He welcomed the audience who by this time had occupied all the chairs leaving standing room only, and commented on their tenacity at turning out on the wettest, windiest day of the year so far. He spoke of his job as being to support the Greenway in any way he could and recounted his experience of speaking with town and county councillors in Taunton and Wellington to reinforce that message.

    The chairman and founder of the Grand Western Greenway campaign, Charles Biscoe, gave a presentation about various route options and spoke of the need to maintain an open mind as much of these aspirations depend on the all-important negotiations with landowners along the way.

    Chaired by Wellington Town Councillor Keith Wheatley, the panel of experts came together to firstly speak of their specialist areas of expertise, and included:

    • John Grimshaw CBE, the founder and former Chief Executive of Sustrans over 40 years ago. He was responsible for building the heavily-used Bristol Bath Path and for, as part of the millennium projects, for designing and implementing the National Cycle Network with which we are all familiar to this day. John now runs Greenways and Cycleroutes Ltd that builds and advises on Greenways all over the country including the Strawberry Line in Somerset.
    • Charles Biscoe, founder and chairman of the Grand Western Greenway CIC
    • Tracey Mock, Manager of On Your Bile in Taunton and Bridgwater, a successful charity repurposing unwanted bicycles for sale as well as training new bicycle mechanics from diverse backgrounds. She spoke of the business and accisibility issues the Greenway opened up for theorganisation.
    • Cllr Dave Mansell, Green Party member for Upper Tone that includes Wiveliscombe and the communities to the north of Wellington.
    • Cllr Nick O’Donnel, Somerset and Taunton Town councillor representing Taunton Town Council.

    They answered questions from the floor that ranged from how the path would be constructed, how it would be paid for, when would it be complete, can horses use it, the impact of the Wellington railway Station and many other queries about the route and its proximity to Musgrove Park Hospital and Taunton College.

    John Grimshaw was able to speak about the challenges of creating a path with a sealed and non-sealed surface most of which were financial and dependent on the way in which landowners perceived one to be more or less attractive than the other.

    Eventually, after over an hour and a half, the meeting was drawn to a close with participants mingling together and carrying on what will almost certainly prove to be a long and fruitful discussion washed down with copious amounts of tea and biscuits.

  • The Greenway (proposed) Route

    The Greenway (proposed) Route

    In a perfect world, we could draw a line on a map and, after a bit of to-ing and fro-ing, build a beautiful path through the countryside to be enjoyed by all as they walk wheel and cycle between Wellington and Taunton.

    Of course, this is a far from perfect world and without that line on the map there is no starting point and nothing to which we and hundreds of others can aspire.

    In this post I want to talk about a route through the Tone Valley from Tonedale in Wellington to Taunton Station. In conjunction with Greenways and Cycleroutes Ltd and the renowned path builder John Grimshaw CBE, we have studied an outline route with some options.

    Our goal has always to do more than build a linear route between Wellington and Taunton. We want to connect several communities along the way and have mapped out possible routes to bring Wiveliscombe, Langford Budville, Milverton, Nynehead, Hillfarrance, Oake, Bradford on Tone, Bishops Hull and Norton Fitzwarren on to the main route through a series of ‘behind-the-hedge’ paths and quiet lanes. By connecting the Greenway to these communities, it will small communities to each other and to Wellington and Taunton in turn.

    Map showing connections from rural communities to the Greenway. The inset shows some of the route options to Musgrove Par Hospitaland Taunton College across Roughmoor.

    I can imagine a few sharp intakes of breath at the scope of the project, but we have to remember that one third of all journeys are done by active means and that these paths could improve the lives of a population in excess of 100,000 (Taunton Local Community Network – 74,000. Wellington and Wiveliscombe Local Community Network – 27,000 (Somerset Council))

    Many people want to create active travel routes. In Somerset there are campaigns everywhere, all with laudable goals to offer a traffic-free piece of infrastructure to serve the walker, wheeler, and cyclist. The Government is more committed to seeing this happen in England with the publication of a draft Cycling and Walking Investment Strategy. Although by no means perfect, it refers to the potential success of projects that are “coherent, connected, consistent and accessible to all” and should link to key destinations such as rail and bus stations, hospitals, and schools.

    It is hard to imagine a project that better fits this description than the Grand Western Greenway. If you want to see an interactive map of the route pictured above, see our website (below)

    Route

    Let us have a quick walk-though starting in Wellington. Bear in mind, this is entirely dependent on landowner permissions and planning permissions!

    Tonedale (phase 1)

    When Network build the Wellington Station starting in 2026, they will almost certainly build a ‘haul-road’ from Tonedale to the station site on the north side of the railway. They have agreed to leave that in place rather than remove it as they would normally. West of England Developments have planning application before Somerset Council to build a number of homes in this location, and their Active Travel Plan (every application has one) involves incorporating this haul-road into it. After the station, we would continue along the north side of the Nynehead boat lift to the Nynehead Road to connect with the existing public right of way to the East Nynehead Road.

    We would then hope to follow the route of the defunct Grand Western canal to Tone Green and continue along the north side of the railway to the Oake / Bradford on Tone Road. This is the only practical rail crossing which, while not perfect, could accommodate safe passage from the north to the south.

    We follow the railway along the south side to Allerford and on into Silk Mills. Wessex Water have given us permission to incorporate the access to their pumping station at Silk Mills to get us under the bridge. From there we would pick up the existing bridleway across Frieze Hill to Staplegrove Road.

    The route to the station already exists along Trenchard Way, although it would be desirable to incorporate the paths (upgraded) over Roughmoor to the hospital and College.

    From the station to the centre of town, a new route is already under construction as part of the Garden town investment and will see a much-improved bridge being installed (hopefully in 2026) at the Morrisons / Brewhouse juncture.

    Interesting? Raises more questions than it answers? Then why not join us at a Public Meeting in Wellington on 24th January 2 – 4pm. It will be in the 1st Wellington Scout HQ, 6 Fore Street (behind the Co-Op)

  • Spring Greenway update

    Spring Greenway update

    Wellington Station

    I’ve made a few mentions about the station and its precarious journey to being built over the last year or so, but it is worth mentioning again. Although it would indeed be a bonus to add this to the public transport mix for Wellington, it is not vital for the Greenway. Yes, it would mean a haul-road would be built which we would adopt but, as I mentioned before, the proposal to build housing on the north side of the line would have to include an active travel plan. The developers are supporters of the Greenway, and their plans indicate they would either upgrade the haul-road or build their own path from Tonedale to the Nynehead Road.

    Nevertheless, the Department for Transport has not shut down the Wellington Station negotiation. The Chancellor specifically singled out developments around transport hubs to boost growth, and there is no better example of this than Wellington. Gideon Amos MP has met the railway minister Lord Hendy several times, and is due to so again this week. This time he is taking a coachload of his constituents, and I’ll be there pushing the case for active travel.

    Somerset NHS Foundation Trust supports the Greenway

    The Trust that delivers all acute secondary and some primary care across Somerset is the largest emplyer in the county. Their Chief Nurse and Chief Executive agreed to an interview in which they discussed their support of the Greenway and the benefit it will bring to their patients and colleagues. The video is still being edited, but you can have a sneak peek here

    Route and Engineering Assessment 

    Again, I’ve written about the work being done by Greenways and Cycle-Routes Ltd. Their principle, John Grimshaw (founder and former CEO of Sustrans) will report over the next month or two, and we are hoping to discuss this and other issues at public meetings over the summer in Taunton and Wellington. Are you interested in this?

    Somerset Council Active Travel Team

    It appears that, after a number of people moved away from the AT Team last year, recruitment has seen the appointment of three new officers. They are clearly very busy because, despite a number of attempts by us and councillors, we have yet to make contact with them. Let’s hope that is just a temporary hiatus as they settle into post, and that we can get talking very soon.

    Public Talks and Presentations

    we are pleased to report we have now spoken to every Rotary Club (I think) in Wellington and Taunton. They have been kind enough to show great interest in the project and have demonstrated their support. Wellington WI have done the same, and we are always very happy to come and spread the word if you have groups that would be interested.

    Throughout the summer we hope to get to more public events such as street fairs markets. We are negotiating with some of the larger employers such as Musgrove Park Hospital and the Hydrographic Office to operate a display in their public spaces. If you would like to help out with any of those, we would be very happy to see you!

    That’s it for this week, but let me have your questions and comments which I will do my best to answer.

  • Meeting the communities of Wellington and Taunton

    Meeting the communities of Wellington and Taunton

    Andy and Richard hard at it in Taunton

    Over the past couple of weeks, our team has been actively engaging with the communities of Wellington and Taunton to discuss r the Grand Western greenway. These community events have beenf inspiring, as we interacted with a diverse group of people interested about sustainable transportation and active travel.

    Connecting with Supporters

    Our main objective during these events was to connect with supporters of the Grand Western Greenway while also reaching out to those interested in becoming part of this project. We are pleased to say that we have successfully signed up almost 50 new supporters, paving the way for a more inclusive and engaged community.

    Embracing Sustainable Travel

    The heart of our discussions revolved around the concept of sustainable and active travel through the picturesque countryside away from pollution and noise of travelling on the road. The Grand Western greenway aims to provide a safe and traffic-free route for cyclists, walkers, and even wheelchair users to explore the natural beauty ofthe area n while promoting physical and mental well-being.

    Engaging with the Community

    The events in Wellington and Taunton provided a platform for interesting conversations and creating useful connections. We had the opportunity to collaborate with various organizations and individuals who share our passion for promoting accessibility and health through outdoor activities. The enthusiasm and support we received were encouraging and solidify our belief in the importance of community engagement.

    Looking Towards the Future

    As we reflect on these events, we are keen to continue making the Grand Western greenway a reality. The feedback from the communities of Wellington and Taunton have been invaluable, shaping our approach and igniting a collective drive to create a more connected and sustainable future for all.

    We are grateful for the warm reception we received and are excited to embark on this journey towards sustainable travel through the countryside, where every step or pedal push brings us closer to more connected communities.

    Thank you for your support of the Grand Western greenway.

    Stay tuned for more updates and initiatives as we devlop our organisation into a Community Interest Company (CIC), and how you can become involved in shaping our future

    Walkers along the Strawberry Line from Wells to Dulcote
  • Phew, that was close!

    Phew, that was close!

    This week we faced the very real possibility that Wellington Railway Station would get swept away as the Restoring Your Railways programme was cancelled in the Chancellor’s statement on Tuesday.

    This would have posed a serious threat to the Greenway as one of the key motivators for public funding is the need to connect communities to the station by means other than driving there.

    Our first phase build was dependent on taking over the haul road that Network Rail will build on the north side of the ine, and which would normally be removed. However, they are pleased to leave it on place, saving them the cost of removal and allowing us to upfade it to an acceptble standard.

    So, big kudos to our newly elected MP, Gideon Amos, for persevering right to the very end of the debate on Tuesday to get an assurance from the Chancellor that projects which had already started would not be cancelled. It remains to be seen whether stage 4 GRIP funding (there are 8 stages, and stage 6 is construction – read more here) is considered to be ‘started’, but all the signs are pointing to that being so.

    Project Work Book Funding

    One of the vital pieces of work we have to get going is a rigorous review of both route options and engineering solutions along those routes. This takes the form of a detailed project work book prepared by our partner organisation Greenways and Cycleroutes. For those of you who regularly read these posts, you will have seen mention of the legendary John Grimshaw. he heads up Greenways and Cycleroutes, but prior to that he founded sustrans and was at its head for 30 years. John is a Civil engineer who is currently building the Strawberry Line and many other projects around the country.

    Funding for this type of work is not easy to find, but Somerset Council was awarded £400,000 by Active travel England to finance the the ‘scoping’ work for schemes that have not yet started. We applied for a very small portion of this fund but were turned down ‘because it was not an on-road project’.

    When you consider that a path that goes through the countryside costs about 1/6th of building on or adjacent to the highway, it does bring into question why Somerset Council would persist on a path alongside the A38 which they acknowledge will never get built.

    We appreciate theyre are many competing priorotoes around the county, but when a community led organisation os offering to build (we’re not asking the council to build it) a multi-user path between the County town and its nearest large satellite, you would think this one would be a very attractive proposition. But no, it’s not. Maybe we need you to make your voices heard.

    Street Stall

    Finally, we have a street stall planned for this Saturday (3rd August 2024) in Taunton Town Centre. Come along and say hello – we’ll be very pleased to see you!

  • Greenway progress report

    Greenway progress report

    Wellington – phase 1

    This illustration of the new Wellington station was provided by Network Rail as part of the planning application for the recently approved housing development. It is important to note that this is purely a representation and not the final design.

    Nevertheless, if we assume we are looking at the south side (i.e. the Wellington side) and the land to the north is open country, Network Rail will be building a haul road to facilitate construction. We aren’t quite sure where it will join the road network, but we are confident it will run from the Longforth Bridge over the line, and alongside the track to this point.

    It has been communicated to us that Network Rail has decided not to dismantle the road, which is the standard procedure. A development firm interested in the land on the northern side has committed to improving the road and integrating it into the area to establish a direct travel connection between the housing and the town.

    We have an agreement with the owners of the Nynehead Boat Lift to have access around the lift out onto the Nynehead Road. There are some details to iron out about further access, but we may have come very close to establishing a link from Longforth to the Nynehead Road. The next part will be from there to Nynehead, thus establishing a traffic-free route between the village and Wellington.

    The Taunton End

    For those of you who have walked the walk with us, you will know that the path aims to cross the southern boundary of the Frieze Hill Community Orchard along the public bridleway to Staplegrove Road, next to Turner’s Allotments.

    We had a very constructive meeting with representatives from the Orchard and the Allotments to discuss the nature of the path, the way it is constructed, the types of fencing we would use, and future maintenance. I think it is fair to say we were able to answer their questions in a way that alleviated any concerns they may have had.

    As we reported recently, Taunton Town Council has given us their support in writing as we begin to discuss our aspirations with the public rights of way team at Somerset Council. We appreciate we have further discussions to have with homeowners and other stakeholders, but we see some real progress in establishing a route through to the Silk Mills Road.

    Walk the Greenway

    New dates are on our website to Walk the Greenway in June, July, and August. If you haven’t done so, have a look and see if it is for you. 8.5 miles of flat walking taking about 4 hours, followed by a very nice bus trip back to Wellington. Details here

    Feasibility Studies

    When planning a route such as this, we will rely on the expertise of others to a large extent. Our partnership with Greenways and Cycle Routes Ltd is one such example.

    John Grimshaw, the man on the left in the image, is the founder and director of Sustrans. He is credited with establishing the Bristol to Bath Cycle Path and numerous others throughout the country. A civil engineer by profession, John is featured in the newest section of the Strawberry Line leading to Wells. Together with Caroline Levitt, he leads Greenways and Cycle Routes and has welcomed us as one of their partners.

    We plan to commission these studies to provide more certainty to the route and identify obstacles. Somerset Council has received a £400,000 grant from Active Travel England for route development, and we will apply to them for funding, but there is no guarantee of success.

    Nevertheless, conducting a campaign incurs expenses. While we have received generous support from a few organizations (Wellington Town Council, Taunton Town Council, and Somerset Community Fund), we constantly require additional funds to sustain our efforts.

    We appreciate any donation, regardless of its size, as a sign of the genuine support we have received from our supporters, both currently and in the future.

  • Pop-up Shop

    Pop-up Shop

    The Greenway is going very public!

    After some superb publicity generated from a Facebook Live interview with Daniel Mumby which made it to almost everywhere including the top of the BBC Southwest pages, we are about to do our first public information event.

    Some of you may know about the Pop-Up Shop in Fore Street, Wellington but for those that don’t, this is run by Wellington Town Council who offer it to various causes for nothing other than the cost of the utilities.

    We have it for the whole of next week, and will be there in person from Wednesday to Saturday. We have used the generous grant fomr Somerset Community Foundation to put together our materials, so why not come along and say hello.

    High Sherrif’s Coffee Morning

    Rob Beckley is a supporter of the Greenway as well as a keen cyclist and member of the Wellingto Wheelers Cycling Club. Both he and his wife walked along the valley with us a few months ago. The High Sherrif is holding a coffee morning for any number of walking and cycling groups who are scheduled to congregate on the playing field at Blagdon Hill on 9th June … at coffee time! Again, we will have a stall, so why not come along and support us.

    Walk the Greenway

    Yes, we are continuing our popular walks along the valley from Wellington to Taunton to look at possible routes the Greenway may take. e throughout the summer, so why not come and join us. The route is about 8.5 miles along footpaths over almost flat terrain. We have kept going throughout all the rain and rain of winter, and not heard anyone say they didn’t enjoy it.

    To sign up, go to the Events page on our website

    New Brand

    I am proud to announce that a collaboration with the media department at Richard Huish College has produced some outstanding work for us to use into the future. Our website and logo design had been a bit rushed, but now we have a new one. The students who are in their first year os study at Huish designed almost all the materials we are using in the Pop-Up shop -I’ll send out some photos when we have it all set up, but here is our new logo

    There is much more news on the back of the Wellington Station, but I will make that the subject of the next post.

    Thank you as always

    Grand Western Greenway Team

    (Want to join us? Get in touch)