Highland Council awarded more than £750,000 to roll out network of safe walking and cycling routes in response to coronavirus pandemic
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Highland Council, supported by NHS Highland, has been awarded £752,954 from the Scottish Government’s Spaces for People fund to deliver rapid active travel routes in response to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Over the coming weeks towns across the Highlands will see a roll-out of temporary walking, wheeling and cycling infrastructure along priority routes.
These measures will ensure people can move safely on essential journeys and when taking their daily exercise – they will also form a key component of village, town and city centre recovery strategies.
Keen to begin a conversation with communities and other stakeholders, a consultation was launched on May 15 on the authority's website which has so far received 433 comments with 85 per cent giving overwhelming support for the approach.
A total of 12 per cent disagreed with the proposals and those comments are being carefully considered by the team progressing the work.
The first phase of measures will be implemented this week, with more planned over the coming weeks, being dependent on delivery of materials, plant and further engagement and design work.
Colin Howell, the council’s head of infrastructure, said: “As we move very rapidly from bid to implementation stage, we are working hard to ensure that these measures are rolled out in a safe and inclusive way that considers all users.
"Making sure people can safely social distance and move around using active travel are our key priorities. To ensure the best chance of these interventions being effective we are rolling them out now and encourage people to provide feedback through our council’s website so we can react to issues people raise where necessary.”
Councillor Trish Robertson, the chairwoman of the council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, said: “I am delighted that the Highland Council Spaces for People bid was successful.
"It is important that we continue to support and assist essential workers with active travel and create safe ways for people to maintain physical distancing, this may also help guide our future, given the environmental benefits in travel we have seen in recent weeks.
"These temporary measures will be flexible, and I stress that given the speed of roll out, we might not get every intervention right first time. That’s why we want to continue the conversation with our communities and would welcome feedback online to respond to how people are finding the new measures work or don’t work for them.”
Councillor Helen Carmichael, the Provost of the City of Inverness, said: “The announcement today is a hugely welcome result for Inverness and the wider Highland region that we hope will bring about positive change in an otherwise challenging situation.
"We know these ambitious measures in Inverness are generating debate and discussion, which is what the consultation portal is there for. I encourage everyone that uses these routes to give us their feedback now and as measures are rolled out.”
Karen McGregor, the director of Sustrans Scotland, said: “It’s clear that people across Scotland want to do the right thing during coronavirus. They want to look after their physical and mental health.
“They also want to make sure that they are keeping to physical distancing guidelines while still being safe on our streets.
“Providing funding support to Highland Council through our Spaces for People programme will make it easier and safer for people to travel around Inverness and other towns across the Highlands for essential travel and exercise.”
Details about the proposed temporary interventions are available for review here.
The possibility of further bids into the fund are being looked at so the council has invited the public to comment on issues being experienced in their local communities where further measures may be considered.
