Pedal Peak II - Moving Up a Gear

Happy New Year, everybody! I trust you all had an enjoyable festive season. 

2015 promises to be the year when we start to see various developments taking shape in our area, under the "Pedal Peak Phase II" project. Just to remind you, there are four separate schemes, as well as a number of grants to be awarded for cycle-friendly projects, all detailed in the DCC circular below,. Within our immediate rangering area will be the Hope Valley Link and the White Peak Loop. Click on the links in the article to obtain more information. The results of the public consultation on the WPL make interesting reading, and two planning applications have been made for sections of the Bakewell to Matlock route (although neither includes the most 'sexy' bits: the Haddon tunnels and the A6 bridge). However, it seems that a new piece of path is to run from Arc Leisure into Matlock town center (which will be very handy for me!) and work on this is to start this month!

Pedal Peak ll – Moving up a Gear Newsletter December 2014

General Pedal Peak Project Headlines:

Little Don Link  Phase 1 linking Dunford Bridge with Penistone is nearly complete with the surfacing of the former Woodhead railway line. Phase 2 is underway to upgrade the surface of the route linking Upper Don Trail to Langsett Gateway. Phase 3 beyond Langsett is in the design stage and will involve making use of a long disused railway bridge under the A616. For more on the Little Don Link: contact project officermike.gibson@barnsley.gov.uk Staffordshire Moorlands Link  5.5km of towpath improvements have been completed along the Caldon Canal between A53 Stockton Brook and Hazelhurst Locks nr Denford. The Department for Transport has just released an additional grant of £1.5m to allow Staffordshire County Council to complete the remaining 6.6km of towpath improvements through to Cheddleton and Leek. For more on the Staffordshire Moorlands Link: highways@staffordshire.gov.uk

Hope Valley Link 

Phase 1 completed - 2.5km new route built between Hathersage and Bamford. Sustrans have been carrying out a local consultation on options for Phase ll between Bamford and Hope and the results should be available soon. For more on the Hope Valley Link: www.derbyshire.gov.uk/pedalpeak

White Peak Loop 

The results of the public consultation for the extension of the Monsal Trail between Bakewell and Matlock are available on the County Council’s website. Two planning applications have now been submitted to the County Council for Phase l between Matlock and Old Road, Darley Dale (referenceCD3/1214/119) and Phase 3 between Church Road, Churchtown and Harrison Way, Northwood (reference CD3/1214/122) with further applications due to follow soon.  A consultation to build a short shared cycle/pedestrian route on the A6 near the Arc Leisure Centre, Matlock to provide a valuable additional link into the White Peak Loop for Matlock residents is complete and the scheme is planned for delivery starting at the end of January. For more on the White Peak Loop:www.derbyshire.gov.uk/pedalpeak

Clyde's note: given that it is quite likely that there will be some opposition to this project, your support is always needed. Click on each of the two phases above (ending in 119 and 122) and then click "Comment on this application". Use copy and paste if your comments for both phases are essentially the same!

Cycle Friendly Places Grant 

11 grants have been awarded so far to the value of £61,000 to support projects to benefit cycling provision to the value of £192,000 with a further 20 enquiries being dealt with.  Most enquirers are looking for safe locking places and support for helping ‘cyclists welcome’ scheme i.e. having locks and tools available for them to use free of charge.  Interest has come from café owners, Post Offices, pubs, outdoor centres, B&Bs as well as the local Cheddleton Railway. For more on the Cycle Friendly Places Grant or to make an enquiry go to: http://www.peakdistrict.gov.uk/visiting/cycle/peak-district-cycle-friendly-places-fund