THE CONNECT2 PROJECT
 

The Big Lottery Fund's 'The People's £50 Million' contest is offering a £50 million grant for significant national projects. A shortlist of four projects has been drawn up, including Sustrans' Connect2 – so-called because it will connect pairs of communities via new, safe walking and cycling routes. The final choice of project will be decided by public vote on ITV1 in December. Each project will be the subject of a television programme on ITV1 in the week commencing 3 December. Sustrans' Connect2 will be featured on Tuesday 4 December.

TV presenter Lorraine Kelly and former minister Charles Clarke will lead the Sustrans bid to transform walking and cycling opportunities across the UK, with many of the company's schemes involving disused railway lines and structures. John Grimshaw, the charity's Chief Executive, reports:

'We are delighted that Sustrans' Connect2 has made it to the public TV vote of the Big Lottery Fund's "The People's £50 Million" contest. Together with local communities across the UK, we look forward to doing all we can to win the vote and get the £50 million so that we can bring real and lasting change to the everyday lives of millions of people. Our projects in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are within a mile of as many as six million people, giving the £50 million the power to make a massive difference to our health, environment and overall quality of life, today, tomorrow and for generations to come.

'But we cannot do this without your help. This is a crucial time in the charity's history, arguably the most exciting since the original Millennium Commission funding for the National Cycle Network twelve years ago. Except that this time our destiny lies in the hands of the public.

'I urge you to lend your support to Connect2 when the time comes. Website voting opens on 26 November at www.thepeoples50million.org.uk and you can make your telephone votes from 7 to 10 December. To be kept updated on Connect2 please visit our website www.sustransconnect2.org.uk or text Connect2 to 80010 and we'll be back in touch to let you know how and when to vote.

'Many thanks for your support.'

It is worth noting that Sustrans' Connect2 project is the only proposal which is truly national in scope, and it is certainly the only one which aims to 'recycle' old railway infrastructure. The list below shows those projects involving disused railway bridges and tunnels. (It is still in note form because we felt it important to get this material on to the website as soon as possible.)

In closing, we would say that this is a vital opportunity, not only for Sustrans, but also for all those who are interested in environmental improvement, the creation of traffic-free routes for walkers and cyclists, and the re-use of Great Britain's historic but abandoned railway infrastructure. We urge you to support Connect, and to commend the project to your friends and relatives as deserving their support also.

ENGLAND

  • Avon: Bath: Two Tunnels Project - Devonshire and Combe Down tunnels and Tucking Mill Viaduct to form part of Two Tunnels Greenway. Radstock - Midsomer Norton route along high level railway.
  • Durham: Newton Hall Junction - Leamside Junction including Belmont Viaduct. Ferryhill/Spennymoor - Cornforth/Coxhoe open out infilled A167 bridge.
  • Essex: Brightlingsea - Alresford to make use of swing bridge over Alresford Creek.
  • Gloucestershire: Forest of Dean/Monmouth: iron bridge over River Wye to be re-decked.
  • Greater Manchester: Holcombe branch: existing railway path broken at Woodford. Missing viaduct to be replaced by cyclebridge. Ashton - Oldham: new 200m. bridge to replace original viaduct at Park Bridge.
  • Kent: Whitstable: Replace long-demolished bridge on the former Canterbury & Whitstable line.
  • London: South Bermondsey: Disused railway including plate girder rail bridge between Southwark (Rotherhithe New Road) and Lewisham (Surrey Canal Road) – part of the 2 mile branch to the SER's Bricklayers Arms terminus, closed in 1983.
  • North Yorkshire: Harrogate - Ripon railway path inc. Nidd Viaduct. Catterick branch: present three-span skeleton viaduct (carries water board pipes) to be re-decked.
  • Warwickshire: Rugby: Former MR Leicester Road Viaduct to form part of a new railway path.

WALES

  • Mid Glamorgan: Taff Vale Area, Trevithick Trail - New bridge over A4060 Mountain Hare Road will give Merthyr residential access to Pentrebach station.
  • West Glamorgan: Clydach - existing abandoned bridge at SN 689012 to be used.

SCOTLAND

  • Dumfries: Dumfries - Castle Douglas, River Nith Viaduct to form part of route to Maxwelltown.

Report by Ralph Rawlinson and Jeff Vinter