Lancashire County Council and West Lancashire Borough Council are working together to upgrade some of the existing footpaths to create a cycleway running the full length of Tawd Valley Park and work starts this month (see our cycling plans page for full route and details).

The new surface will be a material called Nuflex which is a recycled rubber bound resin with aggregate and allows water to soak through it.  It has been used to great effect on other multiuser routes around Lancashire (see photo above and this short video of a Rossendale cycleway opened last summer.

Feedback from various user groups has been great and it has been especially popular with the local running club in Rossendale so we are hoping it will be a great facility for the new Park Run events which are starting up in the Tawd Valley.

Construction work will start during August this year and, weather permitting, the work should be completed by early December.  Part of the works will involve the removal of one of the current foot bridges and its replacement with a 3.5m wide cycleway bridge, this element of the project is being supported with a grant award from the Lancashire Environment Fund.

There will be some disruption whilst the works are happening and temporary diversions will be put in place at some locations to allow the works to happen.  An ecological clerk of works will also be employed to monitor and minimise environmental disruption.

If you would like any more information about the project please contact Tony Lund, Senior Environmental Project Officer,  Lancashire County Council:  phone 01772 537693, email: tony.lund@lancashire.gov.uk.