The facts
Location: Maryport to Allonby, West
Cumbria
Client: Cumbria County Council/Hadrian’s Wall
Heritage
Start Date: May 2009
Completion Date: November 2009
Services provided: Landowner/Stakeholder
Consultation, Route Design/Planning, Funding Research,
Feasibility
Contacts: Richard Ingham - Richard.Ingham@capita.co.uk
The project
Hadrian’s Cycleway stretches the length of the Hadrian's
Wall World Heritage Site, running 174 miles from Ravenglass in West
Cumbria to South Shields on the North East
coast.
Currently an unofficial section of the route between Maryport and
Allonby in Cumbria, runs along the narrow and heavily
used B5300, failing to the meet accepted National Cycle
Network Standards. As a result the section cannot be officially
promoted, severely reducing the number of route users at this point
and compromising the economic, tourism and health gains brought to
the area.
In 2009 Capita Symonds undertook a study on behalf of Cumbria
County Council, Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd and the Solway Coast
AONB partnership, to examine the opportunities, multiple benefits
and practicality of completing the crucial ’missing
link’.
A number of feasible route options were presented alongside
construction cost estimates, project funding opportunities and
future maintenance plans. Extensive consultations with the local
community, stakeholders and landowners were also carried out to
gauge the level of support for any improvements.