Somerset Council faces significant funding challenges for rural walking and cycling routes, with “almost no money” allocated for new projects in these areas over the next four years. At a recent executive committee meeting in Taunton, the council approved its local transport plan, which outlines commitments for highway improvements and active travel initiatives.
The council has earmarked nearly £16 million in capital funding for active travel projects through to 2030. Most of this funding comes from Active Travel England, part of the Department for Transport, or from developer contributions linked to housing developments. However, only about £1.55 million is designated for rural areas, triggering concerns among Conservative and Liberal Democrat councillors who argue this sum is insufficient to encourage local residents to choose walking or cycling over driving.
Councillor Ros Wyke (Lib Dem, Mendip West) highlighted the issue, emphasizing that nearly half of Somerset’s population lives in rural environments. She pointed out the importance of connectivity as bus services decline and stressed the health and environmental benefits active travel could bring. “It is really disappointing,” Wyke said, “as there is very limited availability of active travel funding for rural areas. Most of the rural active travel funds so far have come from money ring-fenced from the former Mendip District Council. Going forward, there is almost no money available, so we’ll have to be creative with Section 106 agreements and other means.”
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Funding from the former Mendip District Council supported key projects such as new sections of the Strawberry Line multi-user path and an extension to the Windsor Hill Greenway near Shepton Mallet. Other rural projects have depended on third-party sources, including government grants tied to initiatives like the Glastonbury Robert Richards project or developer contributions, such as for the prospective Steam Coast Trail extension in Williton.
The local transport plan allocates £1,550,285 for rural active travel projects until 2030, specifically supporting expansions of the Steam Coast Trail and infrastructure around West Somerset and Exmoor. It promises officer support for community-led work on extending the Strawberry Line and the Somerset Circle—a 76-mile loop intended to connect rural Somerset with Bristol, Bath, and the North Somerset coast. The plan also promises capital funding for improvements along key corridors, including bike parking, bus interchanges, and potential green lanes such as Burcott Lane in Wells.
In contrast, urban areas receive a significantly larger share of investment, with £10.8 million allocated to urban schemes and an additional £3.5 million for transport interchanges near bus and rail stations, including hubs planned for Taunton, Langport, and Wellington. Urban projects include extending Yeovil’s Lyde Road corridor, enhancing Chard’s cycle network, and creating new links along the A39 between Glastonbury and Street, and through Bath Road in Bridgwater.
Mike O’Dowd-Jones, the council’s service director for infrastructure and transport, explained that the funding imbalance reflects national government priorities focused on urban areas. “We’ve got to balance maintaining funding streams with continuing to work with communities to help deliver rural schemes wherever possible,” he said.
Councillor Bob Filmer (Conservative, Brent) stressed the urgent need for more investment in rural walking and cycling to reduce congestion and improve public health. “People are told to leave their cars for environmental and health reasons, but if we don’t give them alternatives, they can’t do it,” he noted. Filmer’s division includes the Berrow Greenway project between Berrow and Burnham-on-Sea, identified as a top priority in the Burnham and Highbridge local cycling and walking infrastructure plan (LCWIP).
Councillor Richard Wilkins, portfolio holder for transport and waste services, said the council is engaging with public health colleagues and seeks further support from both the government and Active Travel England to advance rural active travel projects.